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©HCDMO-Il  "W^SISIirsrSIECSSf 


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CouTt  of  the  SouthfrnDiatrictofHewlbri:. 


'3  2.1 


THE 


NATIONAL    PORTRAIT    GALLERY 


0  F 


DISTINGUISHED   AMERICANS 


'( These  are  deeds  which  should  not  pass  away, 
And  naraes  that  must  not  wither,  though  the  earth 
Forgeu  her  enipiies  wilh  a  just  decay, 
The  enslavers  aiid  the  enslaved,  tiieir  death  and  birth." 


CONDUCTED     BY 

JAMES  HERRING,  NEW  YORK, 

AND 

JAMES  B.  LONGACRE,  PHILADELPHIA, 

UNDER   THE   SUPERINTENDENCE    OP    THE  AMERICAN   ACADEMY    OF    THE   FINE   ARTS. 


VOLUME    I. 


NEW  YORK, 

MONSON    BANCROFT,    No.    389  BROADWAY. 

PHILADELPHIA,  HENRY  PERKINS. 

LONDON,  O.  RICH,  No.  12  RED  LION  SaUARE. 


WILLIAM  VAN  NORDEN,   PRINT. 


1834. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  I. 


George  Washington,  1st  President  U.  S., 

Martha  Washington,    . 

Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 

Major-General  Nathanael  Greene, 

Major-General  Anthony  Wayne, 

Major-General  William  Moultrie, 

Major-General  Israel  Putnam,     . 

Colonel  Timothy  Pickering, 

Governor  Isaac  Shelby, 

Governor  Aaron  Ogden, 

John  Marshall,  LL.  D.,  Chief  Justice  U.  S., 

Edward  Shippen,  LL.  D.,  Chief  Justice  of  Pennsylvania 

Brigadier-General  Jonathan  Williams, 

Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  Vice  President  U.  S. 

Hon.  Henry  Clay,  U.  S.  Senate, 

Major-General  Andrew  Jackson,  President  U.  S^ 

Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  U.  S.  Senate, 

Hon.  William  Wirt, 

Hon.  LEwas  Cass,  Secretary  at  War, 

Commodore  Thomas  Macdonough,  U.  S.  Navy, 

Major-General  Alexander  Macomb, 

Hon.  Joel  R.  Poinsett,  LL.  D., 

Hon.  Josiah  S.  Johnston,  U.  S.  Senate. 

Hon.  Edward  Livingston,     .... 

Hon.  Louis  McLane,  Secretary  of  State, 

Right  Rev.  William  White,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania, 

Rev.  Timothy  Dwight,  S.  T.  D.  LL.  D., 

Hon.  Joel  Barlow,         .... 

Colonel  John  Trumbull, 

Gilbert  Charles  Stuart,  Esa., 

Samuel  Latham  Mitchill,  M.  D.  LL.  D., 

Theodoric  Romeyn  Beck,  M.  D., 

Washington  Irving,  Esa., 

Catharine  M.  Sedgwick, 

James  Fenimore  Cooper,  Esa., 


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entered  according  to  the  act  of  congress,  1834, 

BY  JAMES  HERRING, 

IN  THE  OFFICE  OF  THE  CLERK  OP  THE  SOUTHERN  DISTRICT  OF  NEW  YORK. 


\A  ^^ 


ADDRESS. 


The  first  volume  of  the  National  Portrait  Gallery  of  Dis- 
tinguished Americans  is  now  presented  to  that  pubhc,  whose 
annals  it  is  designed  to  illustrate,  and  whose  favor  its  conductors 
have  the  proud  satisfaction  to  know  they  have  not  erringly 
anticipated. 

It  is,  therefore,  with  no  ordinary  feelings  they  meet  their  friends 
and  patrons  on  this  occasion,  and  tender  their  grateful  acknowledge- 
ments for  the  cordial  and  cheering  support  their  enterprise  has 
received  from  their  countrymen. 

The  fate  of  some  earlier  attempts  of  a  kindred  character,  cast 
a  shadow  upon  the  first  annunciation  of  their  purpose  with  a 
disheartening  admonition ;  but,  with  the  advancement  of  art,  a  more 
auspicious  era  has  dawned,  and  the  American  people  now  display  a 
becoming  solicitude  for  the  preservation  of  the  relics  of  their  own 
glory. 

The  enterprise  presents  the  loftiest  appeal  to  national  honor  and 
self  respect,  as  an  effort  at  once  to  preserve  the  features,  and  to  res- 
cue, from  the  wasting  hand  of  time,  the  memory  of  those  whose  noble 
deeds,  exalted  fame,  or  eminent  virtues,  have  shed  a  lustre  upon  their 
age.  The  value  of  such  a  collection  of  portraits  has  been  well  express- 
ed by  a  writer  of  the  last  century,*  who  says,  "In  every  age  and  nation 
distinguished  for  arts  and  learning,  the  inclination  of  transmitting 
the  memory  and  even  the  features  of  illustrious  persons  to  posterity, 
lias  uniformly  prevailed.  The  greatest  poets,  orators,  and  historians, 
were  cotemporaries  with  the  most  celebrated  painters,  statuaries, 
and  engravers  of  gems  and  medals  ;  and  the  desire  to  be  acquainted 
with  a  man's  aspect,  has  ever  risen  in  proportion  to  the  known  ex- 
cellence of  his  character,  and  the  admiration  of  his  writings." 

With  regard  to  the  execution  of  their  undertaking,  the  conductors 
of  the  National  Portrait  Gallery  are  happily  spared  the  necessity  of 
commenting  upon  their  own  labors,  by  the  prevailing  sentiments  of 
approbation  which  it  has  elicited ;  and  when  it  is  remembered,  by 


*  Granger. 
1 


how  severe  a  test  the  infant  arts  of  our  country  are  tried,  from  the 
general  circulation  among  us  of  the  chef  cVoeiivres  of  European  art, 
developed  in  the  maturity  of  strength  in  similar  departments,  it  is 
difficult  to  repress  the  glow  of  exultation  which  is  warranted  by  a 
successful  essay. 

So  far,  however,  as  exertion  to  deserve  the  praise  awarded  them 
is  concerned,  the  conductors  of  the  work  can  assure  their  friends  it 
has  not  been  cheaply  earned.  At  the  outset,  difficulties  were  antici- 
pated, yet  not  equal  to  those  which  have  been  met.  The  great 
extent  of  our  territory,  with  the  migratory  habits  of  our  people,  has 
scattered  far  and  wide  the  materials  requisite  for  the  work,  both 
pictorial  and  literary — and  it  is  often  that  only  by  patient  and  perse- 
vering effort,  they  can  be  obtained,  or  rendered  available.  Impedi- 
ments, of  nearly  equal  magnitude,  have  been  encountered  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  work,  for  which  no  similar  undertaking  had  pre- 
pared the  way ;  and  whatever  confidence  the  projectors  of  this  may 
have  had  in  the  efficiency  of  their  own  arrangements,  the  history  of 
other  failures  was  too  generally  known,  and  too  freshly  remembered 
by  the  people,  to  whom  their  appeal  was  necessarily  made,  to  pre- 
vent their  early  professions  from  being  received  without  distrust, 
which  could  only  be  removed  by  the  accomplishment  of  their 
promises.  What  they  have  been  able  to  achieve  thus  far,  is  now 
before  the  public,  on  whose  candid  estimate  they  confidently  rest 
their  claims  for  continued  and  increased  support  towards  the  future 
portions  of  the  work. 


To  the  numerous  contributors  to  the  literary  portion  of  this  work, 
from  Maine  to  Kentucky,  we  are  bound  to  render  our  acknowledge- 
ments of  gratitude ;  and  for  the  ready  permission  to  use  their  pic- 
tures, granted  by  the  corporations  of  the  cities  of  New  York  and 
Boston  ;  of  Yale  College  ;  the  New  York  Lyceum  ;  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society;  —  To  Mr.  Peale,  the  liberal  proprietor  of  the 
Delaplaine  collection ;  —  To  Colonel  Trumbull,  Mr.  Sully,  Mr.  Hard- 
ing, Mr.  Leslie,  Miss  Goodrich,  Mr.  Ingham,  and,  indeed,  to  all  the 
painters,  whose  aid  has  been  cheerfully  lent  to  us  during  the  past 
year,  we  tender  our  warmest  thanks. 

JAMES  HERRING. 
JAMES  B.  LONGACRE. 


P^ii'\i    W  K^.Aif 


fi:sDji£>>i    ■yiA.sifiin'is-^©^. 


GEORGE     WASHINGTON. 


Our  commonwealth  possesses  no  richer  treasure  than  the  fair  fame  of 
her  children.  In  the  revolutions  of  empires,  the  present  institutions 
of  our  land  may  perish,  and  new  ones,  perhaps  more  perfect,  may- 
arise  ;  but  the  glory  of  our  national  existence  cannot  pass  away,  so 
long  as  the  names  of  those  who,  in  it,  enlarged  the  boundaries  of 
knowledge,  gave  tone  to  its  morals,  framed  its  laws,  or  fought  its 
battles,  are  remembered  with  gratitude.  The  men  who  stamp  the 
impressions  of  their  genius  or  their  virtues  on  their  own  times, 
influence  also  those  which  follow,  and  they  become  the  benefactors 
of  after  ages  and  of  remote  nations.  Of  such  the  memorials  should 
be  carefully  collected  and  preserved ;  and  Americans,  above  all 
others,  owe  it  to  their  country  and  to  the  world  to  perpetuate  such 
records,  while  it  is  possible  to  separate  truth  from  fiction,  in  all  that 
relates  to  those  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  republic  —  who  have 
sustained  it  by  their  wisdom,  or  adorned  it  by  their  talents.  It 
should  be  constantly  borne  in  mind  that  our  country  stands  conspi- 
cuous among  nations,  as  a  fair  daughter  amidst  a  family  of  elder 
sons ;  that  as  a  nation  it  has  passed  through  no  age  of  fabulous 
obscurity,  nor  useless  years  of  feeble  infancy,  but  stepped  forth  at 
maturity,  in  the  panoply  of  war,  like  Minerva  from  the  brain  of 
Jove.  In  its  history  there  is  no  blank ;  it  is  full  of  striking  inci- 
dents, of  original  theories,  and  of  bold  experiments.  In  its  govern- 
ment it  has  exhibited,  and  is  still  demonstrating  to  the  world,  under 
new  and  peculiar  aspects,  the  ability  of  men  to  rule  themselves,  and 
to  protect  their  own  rights  without  injury  to  the  rights  of  others. 
The  men  whose  names  are  inscribed  with  honor  on  the  pages  of 
American  history,  were  fitted  to  the  times  and  the  occasions  which 
called  them  forth  ;  they  were  men  of  iron  nerves  and  fearless  hearts, 
of  devoted  action  and  incorruptible  integrity,  of  splendid  talents  and 
practical  common  sense ;  who  lived  for  the  glory  of  their  country 
and  the  happiness  of  their  race.  Of  these,  there  is  one  "  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen  ;"  as 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

"  The  first 


In  every  public  duty- 


Conspicuous  like  an  oak  of  healthiest  bough, 

Deep  rooted  in  his  country's  love  he  stood."  Polloce. 

George  Washington  was  born  at  Bridge's  Creek,  Westmoreland 
county,  Virginia,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1732.  Before  he  was 
ten  years  old,  he  was  deprived  of  the  guidance  and  example  of  an 
excellent  father  ;  but  the  judicious  economy  and  prudent  affection  of 
his  remaining  parent  provided  for  him  instruction  in  the  useful 
branches  of  knowledge,  and  above  all,  she  trained  him  to  a  love  of 
trutJi,  and  successfully  cultivated  that  high  moral  sense  which  cha- 
racterized his  actions  from  his  youth.  There  is  no  doubt  that  to  the 
careful  culture  bestowed  by  his  affectionate  mother,  the  goodness 
and  greatness  of  Washington  are  to  be  ascribed.  And  we  will  here 
call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  fact,  which  bears  honorable 
testimony  to  the  female  character,  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  dis- 
tinguished men  whose  names  adorn  the  history  of  our  country,  were 
left  to  the  care  of  their  widowed  mothers  at  a  very  early  age. 

"  This  tells  to  mothers  what  a  holy  charge 
Is  theirs, —  with  what  a  kingly  power  their  love 
Might  rule  the  fountain  of  the  new  born  mind  — 
Warns  them  to  wake  at  early  dawn,  and  sow 
Good  seed  before  the  world  doth  sow  its  tares."    Mas.  Sigcurney. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  WASHiNG'toN  received  the  appointment  of 
midshipman  in  the  British  navy,  but  surrendered  it  at  the  earnest 
desire  of  his  mother.  He  afterwards  practised  the  profession  of  a 
surveyor,  and  when  nineteen,  he  held,  for  a  short  time,  the  appoint- 
ment of  adjutant  general,  with  the  rank  of  major,  in  the  forces  of 
the  colony. 

In  1753  the  French  began  to  execute  a  project  they  had  some 
time  meditated,  which  was,  to  connect  their  Canadian  possessions 
with  Louisiana,  by  a  line  of  posts  from  the  lakes  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio.  They  marched  a  force  into  the  country,  and  erected  a 
fort  on  the  Alleghany  river ;  but  these  measures  being  regarded  as 
encroachments  on  the  rights  of  Great  Britain,  the  lieutenant  gover- 
nor of  Virginia,  Dinwiddle,  determined  to  require  their  withdrawal, 
and  selected  Washington  for  the  performance  of  the  hazardous 
enterprise  of  traversing  the  wilderness  and  making  the  demand. 
This  journey  was  performed  in  the  depth  of  winter.  On  his  route 
he  examined  the  country,  noted  the  strongest  military  positions, 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

secured  the  friendship  of  the  Indian  tribes,  and  made  himself 
acquainted  with  the  force  and  designs  of  the  French.  On  his  return 
he  presented  a  journal  of  his  progress  and  observations  as  part  of  his 
report,  which,  being  published  and  extensively  circulated,  was  read 
with  interest  in  all  the  colonies,  and  gave  him  a  prominent  place  in 
the  regard  of  the  public. 

As  the  French  were  determined  to  hold  the  country  west  of  the 
mountains,  the  legislature  of  Virginia  began  to  take  measures  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  British  claim.  They  accordingly  raised  a  regi- 
ment, and  appointed  Washington  lieutenant  colonel.  Early  in  the 
spring,  he  marched  with  two  companies  in  advance  to  the  Great 
Meadows,  where  he  learned  from  some  friendly  Indians,  that  the 
French  had  attacked  and  dispersed  a  party  of  workmen  who  were 
erecting  a  fort  on  the  south  eastern  branch  of  the  Ohio,  and  were 
themselves  building  a  fortification  at  the  confluence  of  the  Alleghany 
and  Monongahela,  and  that  a  detachment  were  on  their  march  to- 
wards him,  apparently  with  hostile  intentions  ;  these  he  surrounded 
in  their  encampment  at  night,  and  at  break  of  day,  his  troops,  after 
delivering  one  fire,  which  killed  the  French  commander,  captured 
the  whole  party,  except  one  man.  Being  joined  soon  after  by  the 
residue  of  the  regiment,  and  a  few  other  troops,  making  an  aggre- 
gate of  somewhat  less  than  four  hundred  men,  they  erected  a  small 
stockade  fort ;  here  he  was  attacked  by  twelve  hundred  French  and 
Indians,  and  after  a  brave  resistance  from  ten  in  the  morning-  until 
night,  he  capitulated.  The  assembly  of  Virginia  voted  their  thanks 
for  the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  displayed  on  this  occasion. 

In  the  winter  of  1754,  orders  were  received  from  England,  that 
officers  of  the  royal  troops  should  take  rank  over  provincial  officers 
of  the  same  grade,  without  regard  to  seniority;  on  this,  Washington 
resigned  his  commission  with  indignation,  and  withdrew  to  Mount 
Vernon.  From  this  retirement  he  was  tempted  by  an  invitation 
from  General  Braddock,  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  aid-de-camp  in  the 
campaign  of  1755.  The  experience  and  advice  of  Washington 
might  have  been  peculiarly  valuable  to  the  general,  had  he  known 
its  worth ;  but  that  officer,  unused  to  the  march  of  an  army  through 
ihe  wilderness,  refused  to  dispense  with  a  cumbrous  attirail,  or  to 
adapt  his  mode  of  warfare  to  the  state  of  the  country ;  the  conse- 
quence was,  his  army  was  defeated,  and  he  lost  his  life.  Notwith- 
standing the  unfortunate  result  of  the  expedition,  the  bravery  and 
admirable  conduct  of  Washington,  in  covering  the  retreat  of  the 
army,  received  the  commendation  of  the  wounded  general,  and  led 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

to  his  appointment  as  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  Virginia  forces. 
Nearly  three  years,  with  less  than  one  thousand  provincial  troops, 
aided  occasionally  by  militia,  he  was  expected  to  protect  a  frontier 
of  near  four  hundred  miles  in  extent ;  but  his  force  was  inadequate 
to  the  duty  required,  and  the  distressed  inhabitants  of  the  frontiers 
either  fled  or  fell  before  the  savage  foe,  until  the  Blue  ridge  became 
the  boundary  of  settlement.  In  the  expedition  against  Fort  du 
Gluesne,  in  1758,  he  served  underGeneral  Forbes;  and  after  a  succes- 
sion of  arduous  duties,  when  the  country  was  relieved  from  imme- 
diate danger,  he  resigned  his  commission,  to  the  great  regret  of  the 
officers  of  the  army,  both  British  and  provincial.  They  who  had 
seen  service  with  him  in  the  wilderness,  knew  the  value  of  his  ex' 
perience  and  prudent  counsels,  and  although  it  had  been  too  humili- 
ating to  the  pride  of  those  who  had  gathered  laurels  in  the  fields  of 
Europe  to  follow  the  advice  of  a  provincial  officer,  yet  in  the  judge- 
ment of  his  countrymen,  he  retired  with  an  increased  military 
reputation. 

From  the  fields  of  his  early  fame,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  agriculture,  and  the  enjoyment  of  domestic  life. 
Having  inherited  from  his  brother  the  Mount  Vernon  estate,  he 
took  possession  of  it,  and  married  a  lady  of  whom  we  shall  hereafter 
speak  more  particularly.  The  ensuing  fifteen  years  were  chiefly 
passed  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  in  the  improving  of  his 
estate,  occasionally  exercising  the  functions  of  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
or  of  a  representative  in  the  provincial  legislature,  until  the  general 
congress  first  assembled  in  Philadelphia.  Like  the  years  of  early 
life,  we  must  pass  too  hastily  forward  to  more  momentous  scenes 
to  note  the  progress  of  this  period  more  particularly. 

Although  Virginia  had  had  her  share  of  vexations,  which  had,  at 
intervals,  agitated  the  colony  nearly  a  century,  all  had  been  forgot- 
ten on  the  approach  of  hostile  feet ;  British  and  provincial  blood  had 
flowed  together  on  the  same  field  in  the  common  cause,  and  by  the 
union  of  American  and  British  valor,  over  the  whole  country,  from 
the  ocean  to  the  northern  lakes,  the  union  flag  of  Britain  waved  trium- 
phantly. Peace  and  security  brought  joy  and  harmony  to  the  peo- 
ple ;  and  had  the  authority  of  the  mother  country  received  a  liberal 
construction  from  its  rulers,  it  is  probable  that  the  love  and  allegiance 
of  the  colonists  might  have  been  confirmed ;  but  a  spirit  of  domina- 
tion prevailed,  and  was  resisted ;  power  was  applied  to  enforce 
obedience,  but  it  only  aggravated  the  evil  by  imbittering  the  spirits 
of  a  people,  who  felt  themselves  to  be  no  longer  children,  and  that 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

as  such  they  were  not  regarded.  The  principle  contended  for  by 
the  parhament  was,  the  absoUUe  "  power  and  right  of  Great  Britain 
to  bind  the  colonies  in  all  cases  whatsoever."  Virginia  was  not  less 
ready  than  the  other  colonies  to  contest  that  right,  and  the  house  of 
burgesses  declared,  that  "  no  power  on  earth  has  a  right  to  impose 
taxes  on  the  people,  or  take  the  smallest  portion  of  their  property, 
without  their  consent,  given  by  their  representatives  in  parliament." 
The  parties  were  thus  at  issue,  and  the  most  zealous  exertions  were 
made  to  defend  ''the  American  cause." 

When  the  first  intelligence  of  "  the  Boston  port  bill"  was  received  in 
Virginia,  the  legislature,  which  was  then  in  session,  entered  a  solemn 
protest  against  it  on  their  journal,  and  appointed  the  first  of  June, 

1774,  the  day  on  which  it  was  to  go  into  operation,  as  a  day  of  fast- 
ing and  prayer.  That  day,  indeed,  throughout  the  country,  was  a 
day  of  humiliation  and  mourning.  Whilst  engaged  in  these  pro- 
ceedings, they  were  hastily  summoned  by  the  governor  to  the  coun- 
cil chamber,  and  suddenly  dissolved.  The  next  day,  the  28th  of 
May,  1774,  the  members  met,  and  recommended  the  appointing  of 
deputies  from  the  several  colonies  to  meet  in  congress  to  deliberate 
on  the  measures  which  the  general  interests  required.  Deputies 
were  accordingly  appointed,  and  congress  assembled  in  Philadelphia 
on  the  ensuing  4th  of  September.  One  of  these  deputies  was 
George  Washington.  The  conspicuous  part  he  had  borne  in 
the  late  wars,  had  indicated  him  as  the  most  competent  person  to  be 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  independent  companies  formed  in  Virginia, 
and  when  he  took  his  seat  in  the  general  consfress  he  was  regarded 
as  the  soldier  of  America.  He  was  appointed  on  all  committees  in 
which  military  knowledge  was  requisite,  and  when  it  was  determined 
to  appoint  a  commander-in-chief,  he  was  unanimously  chosen.  He 
accepted  the  appointment  with  great  diffidence,  and  declined  all 
compensation  beyond  the  payment  of  his  expenses. 

He  proceeded  to  Cambridge,  near  Boston,  without  delay,  and 
entered  on  the  arduous  duties  of  his  station  about  the  1st  of  July, 

1775.  At  this  time  the  British  army,  under  General  Howe,  was 
entrenched  in  two  divisions,  at  Roxbury  Neck  and  Bunker  Hill  : 
the  Americans  were  encamped  on  the  numerous  hills  around  Bos- 
ton, their  right  extending  towards  Dorchester,  tlieir  left  covered  by 
the  Medford  river.  The  commander-in-chief  found  himself  at  the 
head  of  about  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  men,  variously  armed, 
without  cannon,  with  few  bayonets,  and  but  a  small  supply  of  pow- 
der ;  the  officers,  with  few  exceptions,  without  experience,  and  the 


NATIONAL   PORTRAITS. 

soldiers  without  discipline.  All  these  defects  were  to  be  remedied 
before  offensive  operations  could  commence.  The  emergency  re- 
quired all  the  firmness,  industry,  and  perseverance  of  Washington; 
and  although  he  was  indefatigable  in  his  exertions,  the  organization 
of  the  army  and  the  collecting  of  munitions  occupied  the  remainder 
of  the  summer  and  the  following  autumn. 

In  the  mean  time  the  British  army  was  closely  blockaded  in  Bos- 
ton, and  although  it  suffered  much  for  supplies,  remained  inactive. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  year  a  new  subject  of  anxiety  arose  ;  the 
time  of  service  of  the  troops  would  expire  with  the  year,  and  the 
army  was  to  be  replaced  by  another,  in  the  presence  of  a  disciplined 
enemy.     To  raise  another  army,  even  for  one  year's  service,  was 
attended  with  many  difficulties.     The  enthusiastic  ardor  which  had 
brought  the  first  force  into  the  field  had  abated ;  the  recollections 
of  home  had  revived  sweet  visions  of  domestic  comfort,  and  the 
wish  to  revisit  relatives  and  friends  often  prevailed  over  a  sense  of 
duty.     As  the  year  declined  the  army  gradually  melted  away,  and 
at  the  beginning  of  1776  the  new  enlistments  scarcely  equalled  the 
number  of  the  British  troops  in  Boston.     Still,  the  public,  them- 
selves deceived  as  well  as  the  enemy  by  the  exaggerated  representa- 
tions of  Washington's  offensive  means,  were  impatiently  looking  for 
active  measures.     The  commander  was  not  insensible  to  the  effects 
of  his  apparent  inactivity  on  the  public  mind,  but  it  would  have 
been  ruin  to  have  explained  the  cause.    He  was  determined  to  expel 
the  enemy  from  Boston  as  soon  as  a  favorable  opportunity  should 
present,  and  his  views  being  known  to  congress,  that  body  author- 
ized him  to  make  an  attack  "  in  any  way  he  might  think  expedient, 
notwithstanding  the   town   and  property  in  it  might  be   thereby 
destroyed,"    The  general  assured  congress  that  an  attempt  would  be 
made  the  first  moment  he  should  perceive  a  probability  of  success, 
and  prayed  them  to  believe  that  circumstances,  not  inclination  on 
his  part,  occasioned  the  delay.     "  It  is  not,"  said  he,  "  in  the  pages 
of  history  to  furnish  a  case  like  ours.     To  maintain  a  post  within 
musket  shot  of  the  enemy  for  six  months  together  without  ammuni- 
tion ;  and  at  the  same  time,  to  disband  one  army  and  recruit  another 
within  that  distance  of  twenty  odd  British  regiments,  is  more  than, 
probably,  was  ever  attempted.     But  if  we  succeed  as  well  in  the  lat- 
ter, as  we  have  hitherto  done  in  the  former,  I  shall  think  it  the  most 
fortunate  event  in  my  whole  life."     About  the  middle  of  February 
the  general  summoned  a  council,  and  submitted  the  subject  of  attack- 
ing the  enemy  in  Boston  by  marching  over  the  ice,  which  was  then 

6 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

firm  enough  to  bear  the  troops,  but  they  gave,  with  regret,  nearly 
an  unanimous  opinion  against  it.  At  length,  after  having  received 
a  small  additional  supply  of  powder,  he  determined  to  fortify  Dor- 
chester heights,  which  would  compel  the  enemy  to  fight  or  abandon 
the  town.  He  detached  a  sufiicient  force  in  the  night  of  the  4th  of 
March  to  take  possession ;  before  morning  the  breastwork  was 
formed  and  the  cannon  mounted.  When  the  morning  light  revealed 
the  new  entrenchment  to  the  British,  they  opened  a  fire  upon  it, 
which  was  promptly  returned  ;  Lord  Percy  was  then  ordered,  with 
about  three  thousand  men,  to  dislodge  the  Americans  ;  but  they  were 
delayed  by  a  storm  until  the  works  were  so  strengthened  that  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  let  them  alone.  General  Howe  then  prepared  to 
evacuate  Boston  ;  and  Washington,  confidently  believing  that  New 
York  would  be  the  next  point  of  attack,  detached  a  part  of  the  army 
towards  that  place,  whilst  he  continued  to  make  approaches  towards 
Boston  with  the  remaining  troops.  The  British  evacuated  the 
town  on  the  17th  of  March,  and  in  a  few  days  left  the  harbor. 
Washington,  with  the  main  body  of  his  army,  arrived  in  New 
York  on  the  14th  of  April,  and  pressed  forward  the  defences  of  the 
city.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  New  York  were  disaffected  to  the 
American  cause,  and  to  add  to  the  embarrassments  the  commander 
already  experienced,  a  part  of  his  own  guard  was  seduced  to  seize 
his  person  and  deliver  him  to  the  enemy,  but  the  plot  being  disco- 
vered, some  of  the  conspirators  were  executed. 

Early  in  July  the  British  army  landed  on  Staten  Island,  eight 
miles  below  the  city  of  New  York,  where  they  remained  about  three 
weeks,  and  received  large  reinforcements  of  German  troops.  They 
then  passed  over  the  Narrows  to  Long  Island,  and  pushed  their 
detachments  across  the  country  through  Flatlands  towards  the  sound. 
These  being  opposed  by  a  division  under  Generals  Sullivan  and  Lord 
Stirling,  a  severe  contest  ensued,  but  the  British  right  having  out- 
flanked the  left  of  the  Americans,  the  latter  suffered  a  total  defeat, 
and  took  shelter  within  the  lines  at  Brooklyn,  which  the  enemy 
immediately  invested  and  prepared  to  assault,  believing  them  to  be 
more  formidable  than  they  really  were.  Washington  had  seen  the 
latter  part  of  this  battle,  and  unwilling  to  hazard  the  loss  of  that 
whole  division,  he  determined  to  withdraw  it.  This  he  effected  in 
the  night  after  the  battle  with  such  secrecy  and  despatch,  that  the 
enemy  were  first  aware  of  their  retreat,  when  they  perceived  the 
rear  guard  crossing  the  East  river  in  the  morning.  From  the  com- 
mencement of  the  action  on  the  27th,  until  the  last  boat  left  Brook. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

lyn  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  Washington  was  without  rest  or 
sleep ;  and  was  most  of  the  time  on  horseback.  The  British  army- 
were  within  muslcet  shot  of  the  hnes,  yet  such  was  the  silence  and 
order  preserved,  that  nine  thousand  men,  with  their  arms  and  ammu- 
nition, and  most  of  the  provisions  and  cannon,  were  conveyed  across 
a  river  half  a  mile  broad,  without  confusion  or  interruption.  The 
skilful  execution  of  this  masterly  retreat  has  been  extolled  by  all 
writers  on  the  subject.  It  now  became  necessary  to  evacuate  New 
York  ;  and  after  a  short  stand  at  Kingsbridge,  the  American  army 
took  a  position  at  Whiteplains.  Here  a  battle  was  fought  which  was 
not  decisive ;  and  while  General  Howe  was  waiting  for  a  reinforce- 
ment, Washington  took  another  position,  which  the  British  com- 
mander considered  too  strong  to  be  attempted,  and,  after  endeavoring 
in  vain  to  draw  on  an  engfaafement  on  more  favorable  terms,  he 
changed  his  plan  of  operations,  marched  down  the  Hudson,  and  cap- 
tured fort  Washington,  on  York  island,  making  about  two  thousand 
prisoners.  This  was  a  serious  blow  to  the  American  cause,  and 
rendered  an  immediate  retreat  across  the  river  imperative.  Lord 
Cornwallis,  with  a  large  force,  followed  so  close  in  the  rear  of  the 
feeble  remnant  of  an  army  which  accompanied  Washington  into 
New  Jersey,  that  Fort  Lee,  on  that  side  of  the  river,  was  hastily 
abandoned,  and  with  it  nearly  all  the  artillery  and  baggage. 

It  was  now  late  in  November  ;  most  of  the  New  England  militia 
had  returned  home,  their  term  of  service  having  expired ;  on  the 
1st  of  December  the  Maryland  and  Jersey  levies  availed  themselves 
of  the  same  right  at  Brunswick,  even  while  the  enemy  were  in 
sight ;  the  loss  of  their  baggage,  sickness,  and  fatigue,  rendered  them 
impatient,  and  for  a  time  overcame  every  other  consideration.  The 
continental  troops,  wasted  daily  by  disease  and  desertion,  until  the 
grand  army^  on  which  hung  the  destinies  of  this  continent,  was 
reduced  to  three  thousand  men,  without  tents  or  camp  equipage, 
half  naked  and  bare-footed,  disheartened  by  misfortunes,  and  even 
hope  afar  off.  The  spirit  of  the  commander,  sustained  by  the  reso- 
lution and  firmness  of  his  officers,  carried  him  through  this  scene  of 
suffering  with  a  countenance  of  calm  self-possession,  which  saved 
the  army  from  immediate  dissolution.  On  the  8th  of  December  he 
crossed  the  Delaware,  and  secured  all  the  boats  to  prevent  the  pas- 
sage of  the  enemy.  The  British  army  entered  Trenton  as  the  last 
boat  of  the  Americans  left  it.  There  General  Howe  abandoned  the 
pursuit  until  the  ice  should  bridge  the  river ;  meanwhile  he  can- 
toned his  army  in  detachments  in  the  towns  along  the  left  bank  of 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

the  Delaware,  and  at  Trenton  and  New  Brunswick.     Washington, 
whilst  gathering  strength  by  calling  in  the  distant  divisions  and 
volunteers,  with  secret  exultation  watched  the  detached  corps  of  the 
British  and  Hessians,  and  he  concerted  with  Generals  Cadwallader 
and  Irving,  a  simultaneous  attack  on  three  of  them.     That  which 
was  conducted  by  the  commander-in-chief,  was  alone  successful. 
His  troops  began  to  cross  the  Delaware  a  few  miles  above  Trenton, 
about  dusk  on  the  25th  of  December,  when  it  was  believed  the  enemy 
would  be  enjoying  the  festive  anniversary  in  confidence  of  safety. 
The  night  was  dark  and  very  cold,  and  the  passage  was  so  retarded 
by  a  high  wind,  a  swift  current  and  masses  of  floatino-  ice,  that  it 
was  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  they  could  be  formed  on  the 
Jersey  shore.      The  attack  was  made  in  two  columns  about  day- 
break ;  a  violent  snow  storm  driving  directly  in  the  faces  of  the 
assailants  at  the  time.     The  enemy  made  a  momentary  show  of 
resistance  by  a  wild  and  ill-directed  fire  from  their  quarters,  and 
attempted  to  form  on  the  main  street,  which  was  prevented  by  the 
fire  of  six  pieces  of  artillery.    "  When  Forrest's  battery  was  opened," 
says  General  Wilkinson,  "  the  general  kept  on  the  left,  and  advanc- 
ing with  it,  giving  objects  of  direction  to  his  fire ;  his  position  was 
an  exposed  one,  and  he  was  frequently  entreated  to  fall  back,  of 
which  he  took  no  notice  ;  he  had  turned  the  guns  on  the  retreating 
enemy,  when  to  an  order  for  the  discharge  of  cannister.  Captain 
Forrest  observed — 'Sir,  they  have  struck.'     'Struck!'  replied  the 
general.    'Yes,'  said  Forrest,  'their  colors  are  down.'    'So  they  are,' 
observed  the  chief,  and  galloped  towards  them."     A  troop  of  British 
dragoons,  and  about   five  hundred  infantry,  fled  down  the  river. 
The  main  body,  after  endeavoring  to  escape  by  the  right  towards 
Princeton,  surrendered  on  a  summons  from  the  general.     The  killed 
and  wounded  of  the  Americans  amounted  to  only  ten.    The  Hessian 
colonel,  Rahl,  with  six  other  officers  and  about  forty  men,  were 
killed,  and  twenty-three   officers  and  nearly  one   thousand   men 
made  prisoners,  with  their  arms  and  accoutrements,  cannon,  (fee, 
all  which  were  safely  conveyed  across  the  Delaware. 

This  achievement  changed  the  aspect  of  the  war,  raised  the  de- 
sponding spirits  of  the  people,  and  inspired  the  army  with  renewed 
zeal.  The  prisoners  having  been  disposed  of,  Washington  returned 
to  Trenton.  Cornwallis,  with  an  army  whose  strength  o-ave  him  a 
confidence  of  victory,  approached  on  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  of  .Jan- 
uary, 1777,  and  was  met  with  firmness  by  detachments  of  Americans 
who  disputed  his  approach  with  great  gallantry,  but  whose  only  object 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

was  to  wear  away  the  day  without  the  risk  of  a  general  engagement. 
Night  at  length  suspended  the  fight,  while  the  hostile  armies  were 
separated  only  by  the  narrow  stream  over  which  the  last  detachment 
of  Americans  had  been  forced.  The  watch  fires  were  lighted,  guards 
doubled,  a  fatigue  party  set  to  work  on  an  entrenchment  within 
hearing  of  the  enemy's  sentinels,  and  every  appearance  kept  up  of  a 
determination  to  abide  the  result  of  a  battle  on  the  morrow  :  but  at 
midnight,  Washington  moved  his  little  army,  by  an  indirect  route, 
towards  Princeton,  where  was  posted  a  large  detachment  of  British 
troops.  This  manoeuvre  was  not  discovered  by  the  enemy  until 
morninof,  when  the  firing;  at  Princeton  announced  that  the  American 
army  was  nine  miles  in  their  rear,  and  their  magazines  at  Brunswick 
in  danger  of  destruction.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the 
advance  of  the  American  army  encountered  the  seventeenth  British 
regiment  near  Princeton,  and  after  a  short  action,  gave  way ;  Wash- 
ington now  formed  his  troops  into  a  close  column,  and  placing 
himself  at  their  head,  he  led  them  into  action.  The  struggle  was 
short,  but  fierce  and  obstinate.  The  seventeenth  regiment  was 
nearly  annihilated;  two  other  British  regiments  threw  themselves 
into  the  college,  which  they  soon  abandoned,  and  made  a  precipitate 
retreat  towards  Brunswick  with  very  little  loss.  They  were  followed 
as  far  as  Kingston,  and  it  was  the  desire  of  every  ofiicer  to  strike  at 
the  enemy's  post,  at  New  Brunswick  ;  but  the  men  were  too  much 
exhausted  by  hunger,  cold,  and  fatigue,  to  warrant  the  attempt; 
besides  which,  the  enemy  from  Trenton  were  exchanging  shot  with 
the  rear  guard.  .  The  army  was,  therefore,  conducted  by  the  way  of 
Rocky  Hill  and  Somerville,  to  Morristown,  where  they  went  into 
Mnnter  quarters.  Here,  with  never  more,  but  often  less  than  one 
thousand  regulars,  and  about  two  thousand  mihtia,  Washington 
kept  the  enemy  in  check,  although  they  occupied  their  line  of  posts 
from  Brunswick  to  New  York  with  twenty-five  thousand  men. 

But  the  spirit  of  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey  was  now  roused  to 
exertion,  not  only  by  the  successes  of  their  countrymen,  but  also  by 
the  insults,  injuries,  and  cruelty  of  the  foe,  particularly  the  Hessian 
troops,  who  had  overrun  the  middle  counties  of  that  state.  Taught 
by  the  bitter  experience  of  the  "  protection"  afforded  by  that  licentious 
soldiery,  the  militia  of  New  Jersey  watched  every  opportunity  to 
strike  the  enemy  wherever  their  foraging  or  reconnoitering  parties 
appeared,  and  their  frequent  success  greatly  relieved  the  commander- 
in-chief,  who  again  had  to  encounter  the  evils  arising  from  short 
enlistments.     He  had  often  remonstrated  with  congress  against  the 

10 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

practice  of  engaging  men  for  a  single  year,  but  the  prejudices  of  the 
country  against  a  standing  army  were  difficult  to  overcome.  Rely- 
ing, however,  on  the  integrity  and  wisdom  of  the  commander,  he 
was,  two  days  after  the  battle  of  Trenton,  invested  with  full  powers 
to  raise  sixteen  battalions  of  infantry,  three  thousand  cavalry,  three 
regiments  of  artillery,  and  a  corps  of  engineers;  to  establish  their  pay, 
form  magazines,  appoint  and  displace  officers,  under  the  rank  of 
brigadier-generals,  at  his  pleasure ;  and  to  take  whatever  he  might 
want,  wherever  he  might  be,  for  the  use  of  the  army ;  in  short,  so 
far  as  the  army  was  concerned,  his  powers  were  almost  dictatorial 
for  the  period  of  six  months.  i 

After  the  British  forces  had  obtained  possession  of  New  York, 
their  next  object  had  been  Philadelphia ;  in  this  they  had  been 
hitherto  effectually  baffled.  In  the  spring  of  1777  the  attempt  was 
renewed,  but  all  their  manoeuvres  to  draw  the  American  army  from 
their  advantageous  position  in  the  hills  were  ineffectual,  and  after 
some  trials  of  skill  between  the  hostile  commanders,  the  British 
resorted  to  their  ships.  They  embarked  from  New  York  in  July, 
and  entering  the  Chesapeake,  landed  at  the  head  of  Elk  on  the  25th 
of  August,  and  marched  towards  Philadelphia.  At  the  Brandyvvine, 
Washington  opposed  their  progress  on  the  10th  of  September,  but 
was  compelled  to  retire  with  considerable  loss.  On  the  sixteenth,  he 
once  more  determined  to  risk  an  engagement  to  save  Philadelphia, 
but  a  storm  of  unusual  violence  obliged  him  to  retire,  as  is  stated  in 
our  sketch  of  the  life  of  General  Wayne,  who  commanded  the 
attack.  On  the  twenty-fifth  of  the  same  month,  the  British  general 
took  possession  of  Philadelphia,  and  soon  after  formed  an  encamp- 
ment at  Germantovvn.  For  the  particulars  of  the  battle  which  was 
fought  there,  we  refer  (for  the  sake  of  avoiding  unnecessary  repeti- 
tion) to  the  life  of  Colonel  Howard.  The  British  forces  being  con- 
centrated in  Philadelphia,  and  their  ships,  after  some  gallant  resist- 
ance, having  obtained  command  of  the  Delaware,  Washington 
took  a  strong  position  at  White  Marsh.  Sir  William  Howe,  although 
in  command  of  a  vastly  superior  force,  found  himself  so  much 
restricted  by  the  proximity  of  the  American  army,  which  sliut  him 
out  from  a  rich,  and,  to  him,  necessary  country  for  supplies,  that  he 
marched  out  to  attack  it,  hoping  to  take  it  by  surprise,  but  he  was 
foiled  in  his  attempt,  and  returned  to  Philadelphia.  Determined  to 
defend  the  country  from  depredation,  Washington  selected  Valley 
Forge  for  winter  quarters.  Here,  while  the  foe  were  luxuriating 
in  the  comfortable  quarters  of  a  populous  and  wealthy  city,  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Americans  were  sheltered  in  huts  of  their  own  fabrication,  and  fre- 
quently suffered  the  extremity  of  want.     The  commissary's  depart- 
ment— imperfectly  organized  for  want  of  experience — had  given 
cause  for  frequent  complaints  ;  congress,  by  endeavoring  to  apply  a 
remedy,  increased  the  distress  of  the  troops,  so  that  very  frequently 
their  movements  were  prevented,  and  the  plans  of  the  commander 
consequently  embarrassed.     He   frequently  and    earnestly   remon- 
strated ;  but  the  evil  was  not,  and,  indeed,  could  not  be  immediately 
obviated,  without  causing  much  distress  in  other  quarters.    Congress 
authorized  the  seizure  of  provisions  within  seventy  miles  of  head 
quarters,  and  although  Washington  was  compelled  by  the  necessi- 
ties of  his  army  to  avail  himself  of  the  authority,  he  exercised  it 
with  so  much  reluctance  and  forbearance,  that  the  wants  of  the 
troops  were  scarcely  satisfied,  and  congress  appeared  as  much  dissa- 
tisfied with  his  lenity  to  the  people,  as  the  inhabitants  were  by  what 
they  considered  a  rigorous  exercise  of  power.     At  this  time  a  party 
was  formed  in  congress  to  remove  the  commander-in-chief;  a  few 
officers  of  the  army  encouraged  the  discontents,  by  comparing  the 
services  of  Washington  with  those  of  General  Gates,  —  forgetting, 
in  their  zeal,  the  fact,  that  the  one  had  repeatedly  fought  a  superior 
force,  and  that  the  other,  though  a  conqueror,  had  gained  his  laurels 
with  an  army,  regulars  and  militia,  of  nearly  three  times  the  nume- 
rical strength  of  his  opponents.     The  legislature  of  Pennsylvania, 
too,  added  their  voice  to  the  dissention,  by  remonstrating  against  the 
army  removing  into  winter  quarters.     But  the  machinations  of  fac- 
tion were  vain.     The  commander  possessed  the  confidence  of  the 
country,  and  was  beloved  by  the  army ;  and  even  the  troops  who  had 
served  under  General  Gates,  expressed  their  indignation  at  the  idea 
of  a  change.     The  only  effect  produced  in  the  country,  was  a  uni- 
versal excitement  of  resentment  against  those  who  were  believed  to 
be  inimical  to  the  chief     Whilst  these  combinations  of  intrigue  and 
ambition  were  progressing,  the  sufferings  of  the  army  were  not 
ameliorated,  and  they  at  length  drew^Trom  the  commander  a  com- 
munication to  congress  of  unprecedented  plainness  and  energy.    He 
stated  his  conviction  that  unless  some  great  change  took  place  in  the 
commissary's  department,  the  army  would  inevitably  be  reduced  to 
starvation  or  dissolution — that  there  was  not  in  the  camp  a  single 
head  of  cattle  to  be  slaughtered,  and  not  more  than  twenty-five 
barrels  of  flour,  nor  could  the  commissary  tell  when  any  might  be 
expected  ;  and,  that  three  or  four  days  of  bad  weather  would  prove 
their  destruction — that  there  were  near  three  thousand  men  in  camp 

12 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

unfit  for  duty,  because  they  were  barefooted  and  otherwise  naked, 
besides  those  confined  in  the  hospitals  and  in  farm  houses  on  the 
same  account.  He  charged  it  home  to  those  who  had  remonstrated 
against  his  going  into  winter  quarters,  that  they  knew  the  nakedness 
of  the  troops  from  ocular  demonstration.  "  I  can  assure  those  gen- 
tlemen," said  he,  "  that  it  is  much  easier  and  less  distressing  to  draw 
remonstrances  in  a  comfortable  room,  by  a  good  fireside,  than  to 
occupy  a  cold  bleak  hill,  and  sleep  under  frost  and  snow  without 
clothes  or  blankets ;  however,  although  they  seem  to  have  little  feel- 
ing for  the  naked  and  distressed  soldiers,  I  feel  superabundantly  for 
them,  and  from  my  soul  pity  those  miseries  which  it  is  not  in  my 
power  either  to  relieve  or  prevent." 

The  exertions  which  were  made  by  congress  and  the  state  govern- 
ments, at  length  afforded  relief,  but  in  the  mean  time  the  army  was 
supported  only  by  the  impressments  of  its  detachments. 

As  the  spring  approached,  unwearied  diligence  was  used  to  pre- 
pare for  the  ensuing  campaign.  The  troops  received  instruction 
from  the  Baron  Steuben,  a  Prussian  officer  of  great  merit,  and  every 
possible  effort  was  made  to  establish  order,  regularity,  and  discipline. 
Early  in  May,  1778,  the  intelligence  was  received,  that  France  had 
recognised  the  independence  of  the  United  States  by  treaty,  and  the 
additional  information,  that  although  war  between  France  and 
Great  Britain  had  not  been  formally  declared,  it  had  commenced  in 
fact.  It  was  soon  after  known  that  a  naval  force,  which  had  been 
preparing  in  the  French  ports  in  anticipation  of  this  event,  was  to 
act  on  the  American  waters.  This  rendered  Philadelphia  an  unsafe 
position  to  the  British  army,  and  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  about  this 
time  assumed  the  command,  made  immediate  preparation  to  eva- 
cuate it. 

He  crossed  the  Delaware  on  the  18th  of  June,  and  slowly  retired 
through  New  Jersey.     Washington  put  his  army  in  motion,  and 
crossed  the  river  a  few  miles  above,  and  advanced  on  a  line  parallel 
to  his  adversary,  with  whom  he  was  earnestly  desirous  to  close,  but 
in  this  he  was  opposed  by  the  advice  of  his  general  officers ;  when, 
however,  the  enemy  reached  Monmouth  court  house,  the  spirit  of 
enterprise,  which  had  been  so  long  restrained,  determined  him  not  to 
let  the  opportunity  pass  of  once  more  striking  at  the  foe.     He  ac- 
cordingly took  measures  to  draw  on  an  engagement,  and  the  battle 
of  Monmouth  was  fought  on  the  28th  of  June.     After  a  keenly  con- 
tested action,  both  armies,  overpowered  by  fatigue  and  the  excessive 
heat  of  the  day,  suspended  the  combat  on  the  approach  of  evening, 


13 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

as  by  mutual  consent,  Washington,  wrapped  in  his  cloak,  lay- 
that  night  on  the  field  in  the  midst  of  his  soldiers,  ready  to  renew 
the  battle  in  the  morning ;  but  the  enemy,  under  cover  of  the  night, 
retired  in  silence,  leaving  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  of  their  dead 
on  the  field.  The  British  army  embarked  at  Sandy  Hook,  and 
sailed  to  New  York,  and  the  Americans  once  more  took  a  position 
on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson. 

From  this  period  until  the  summer  of  1780,  Washington  was 
not  present  at  any  of  the  active  operations  of  the  war — these  being 
chiefly  conducted  in  the  states  south  of  the  Chesapeake  ;  in  the  mean 
time,  "  the  wretched  policy  of  short  enlistments"  laid  him  under  the 
disadvantage  of  raising  a  new  army  every  year,  under  circumstances 
of  difficulty  constantly  increasing,  until  it  had  become  almost  impos- 
sible to  raise  one  at  all.  The  alliance  with  France  had  induced  the 
pleasing  delusion  in  the  public  mind,  that  the  war  was  in  a  measure 
over ;  that  as  the  independence  of  the  United  States  had  been  recog- 
nised by  that  nation,  it  must  soon  cease  to  be  disputed  by  Great 
Britain.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  people  had  subsided — they  no 
lonofer  viewed  the  cause  as  one  in  which  each  individual  had  to  act 
a  part  in  person,  but  as  a  common  cause  which  all  were  to  pay  for ; 
besides  which,  "  the  pernicious  divisions  and  factions  in  congress" 
were  fomented  and  increased  until  the  prospect  of  a  happy  issue 
appeared  to  the  chief  more  gloomy  than  at  any  former  period.  '•  I 
have  seen  without  despondence,"  said  he  in  private  letter,  "  even  for 
a  moment,  the  hours  which  America  has  styled  her  gloomy  ones ; 
but  I  have  beheld  no  day  since  the  commencement  of  hostilities, 
when  I  have  thought  her  liberties  in  such  danger  as  at  present. 
Friends  and  foes  seem  now  to  combine  to  pull  down  the  goodly 
fabric  we  have  hitherto  been  raising  at  the  expense  of  so  much  time, 
blood,  and  treasure ;  and  unless  the  bodies  politic  will  exert  them- 
selves to  bring  things  back  to  first  principles,  correct  abuses,  and 
punish  our  internal  foes,  inevitable  ruin  must  follow.  Indeed,  we 
seem  to  be  verging  so  fast  to  destruction,  that  I  am  filled  with  sensa- 
tions, to  which  I  have  been  a  stranger  until  these  three  months.  Our 
enemies  behold  with  exultation  and  joy,  how  effectually  we  labor 
for  their  benefit ;  and  from  being  in  a  state  of  absolute  despair,  and 
on  the  point  of  evacuating  America,  are  now  on  tiptoe.  Nothing, 
therefore,  in  my  judgment,  can  save  us  but  a  total  reformation  in  our 
own  conduct,  or  some  decisive  turn  of  affairs  in  Europe.  The 
former,  alas  !  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken,  is  less  likely  to  happen  than 

the  latter,  as  it  is  now  consistent  with  the  views  of  the  speculators, 

u 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON; 

various  tribes  of  money  makers,  and  stock  jobbers  of  all  denomina- 
tions, to  continue  the  war  for  their  own  private  emolument,  without 
considering  that  this  avarice  and  thirst  for  gain  must  plunge  every 
thing,  including  themselves,  in  one  common  ruin."  These  causes 
certainly  protracted  the  war,  and  encouraged  the  enemy  to  persevere. 
They  determined  to  turn  their  force  against  the  less  populous  states 
of  the  south,  where  their  friends  and  foes  were  more  equally  balanced, 
and  where  opposition  from  the  eastern  states  must  be  brought  at 
great  expense  and  loss  of  time. 

But  early  in  May,  1780,  a  change  came  over  the  aspect  of  affairs, 
which  revived  the  latent  energies  and  hopes  of  the  country.     Lafay- 
ette, after  serving  in  the  army  with  Washington  from  the  battle 
of  Brandy  wine  to  that  of  Monmouth,  had  returned  to  France,  where 
he  had  made  such  a  representation  of  American  transactions,  as  had 
inspired  his  countrymen  with  his  own  generous  sentiments — now 
presented  himself  in  the  American  camp,  with  the  promise  from  the 
king  of  speedy  assistance  by  land  and  sea.     In  July,  a  French 
squadron  under  M.  de  Ternay,  with  between  five  and  six  thousand 
troops  under  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  arrived  at  Newport.     That 
no  difficulties  might  arise  between  the  allied  forces,  Washington 
had  been  invested  with  the  chief  command  of  his  most  Christian 
majesty's  troops  in  America.     Whilst  the  French  ships  lay  at  New- 
port, waiting  the  arrival  of  a  reinforcement,  several  British  ships  of  the 
line  joined  the  fleet  at  New  York,  and  gave  it  such  a  decided  supe- 
riority, that  the  admiral  sailed  to  Rhode  Island  to  attack   Ternay, 
and  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  with  a  great  number  of  troops,  proceeded 
some  distance  up  the  sound  to  cooperate  by  land.     Washington 
immediately  put  his  army  in  motion,  and  rapidly  advanced  towards 
Kingsbridge,  but  the  sudden  return  of  the  British  troops  disappointed 
the  hopes  which  had  been  formed  of  seizing  New  York  in  their 
absence.     To  recover  that  city,  however,  was  a  measure  still  con- 
templated by  the  commander-in-chief,  and  he  took  possession  of  the 
ground  and  threw  up  some  works  at  Dobbs'  ferry,  ten  miles  above 
Kingsbridge  ;  but  the  French  squadron  continuing  to  be  blockaded 
in  Newport  by  a  superior  force,  prevented  that  concert  of  action  which 
had  been  arranged  with  Rochambeau,  and  the  season  for  active 
operations  passed  away  without  any  important  result.     The  army 
kept  the  field  until  December,  when  it  retired  to  winter  quarters. 
But  winter  quarters  to  the  American  soldiers,  gave  but  a  change  of 
toils  and  an  increase  of  suffering.     The  present  season,  like  those 
which  had  preceded  it,  found  them  deficient  of  supplies — often 

15 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

entirely  without  food,  exposed  to  the  rigors  of  winter  without  suita- 
ble clothing,  and  without  pay  for  the  services  of  the  year.  The  long- 
suffering  patience  of  the  army  was  at  length  exhausted,  discontent 
spread  through  the  ranks,  venting  itself  in  murmurs  and  complaints, 
and  finally  in  an  extensive  revolt.  This  is  not  the  place  to  recount 
the  scenes  which  followed  in  consequence  of  the  short  sighted  policy 
of  the  government,  and  the  tardy  movements  of  the  states.  We 
would  not  divert  a  line  of  our  brief  space  from  the  direct  purpose  in 
hand,  but  so  intimately  blended  is  the  life  of  Washington  with 
the  history  of  his  time,  that  one  cannot  be  entirely  separated  from 
the  other ;  besides  which,  it  is  due  to  the  character  of  the  army  of 
the  revolution  that  the  record  should  here  be  made,  and  our  sympa- 
thy for  other  nations  should  never  efface  the  transcript  from  our 
hearts — that  for  manly  bearing  and  patient  endurance,  under  trials 
and  sufferings  of  every  possible  variety,  in  the  main  body  and  its 
divisions — whether  in  long  and  painful  marches,  in  hunger,  naked- 
ness, poverty,  or  disease,  in  hospitals  or  in  prison  ships,  in  battle 
with  the  enemy,  or  in  winter  quarters,  apparently  neglected  by  their 
countrymen — that  army  has  never  been  surpassed. 

France,  South  America,  Greece,  and  Poland,  have  since  excited 
our  national  sensibilities  by  their  struggles  for  liberty,  and  the  silent 
aspirations  of  our  hearts,  and  the  open  actions  of  our  hands,  have 
borne  testimony  to  our  deep-felt  interest  in  their  success  ;  but  there 
is  a  duty  which  we  owe  at  home  akin  to  filial  gratitude — to  treat 
the  survivors  of  our  own  revolutionary  soldiery  with  profound  vene- 
ration, and  to  lengthen  the  evening  of  their  days  by  a  kind  attention 
to  their  wants. 

In  every  situation  in  which  Washington  was  placed  during  the 
momentous  conflict,  he  adapted  his  means  to  the  proposed  end  with 
equal  firmness  and  judgment,  and  the  winter  of  1780-81  as  fully 
tested  his  qualities  as  a  military  commander,  under  circumstances 
of  peculiar  hazard,  as  any  other  period  of  his  command.  With  his 
army  in  the  condition  we  have  stated,  (one  half  of  which  dissolved 
as  usual  on  the  first  of  January,)  the  main  body  of  the  British  army 
in  New  York,  with  the  Hudson  open  to  their  ships,  he  yet  managed 
to  suppress  a  mutiny ;  to  keep  his  army  in  force ;  to  check  the  ope- 
rations of  the  enemy ;  to  carry  on  an  extensive  correspondence  with 
his  detached  officers,  numerous  influential  individuals,  and  the  state 
governments,  by  which  he  obtained  funds  to  pay  his  soldiers  in 
part ;  and,  in  addition,  he  made  time  to  impress  on.  the  court  of  Ver- 
sailles his  own  views  of  the  present  and  future  capabilities  of  the 

16 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

country,  and  particularly  pressing  the  importance  of  an  immediate 
and  ample  supply  of  money,  and  the  maintenance  of  a  naval  supe- 
riority on  the  American  waters. 

As  the  spring  advanced,  Washington's  plans  were  still  directed 
against  New  York,  that  being  the  stronghold  of  the  enemy's  power 
in  the  northern  states  ;  and  he  confidently  believed,  if  that  could  be 
reduced,  the  war  would  speedily  terminate.  For  several  months  a 
predatory  war  had  been  carried  on  in  the  lower  counties  of  Virginia 
by  divisions  of  the  British  army,  under  Arnold  and  Phillips.  When 
Cornwallis  advanced  from  Carolina  and  took  command  there  about 
the  middle  of  May,  he  continued  to  carry  on  his  operations  with 
vigor,  and  although  he  gained  no  permanent  advantage,  he  destroy- 
ed an  immense  amount  of  property.  About  the  1st  of  June,  the 
campaign  opened  on  the  Hudson  ;  the  French  auxiliaries  advanced 
and  formed  a  junction  with  the  Americans,  preparatory  to  a  grand 
attack  on  New  York.  At  this  time.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  being  alarm- 
ed at  the  serious  danger  which  menaced  his  position,  recalled  a  part 
of  his  troops  from  Virginia ;  on  this,  Cornwallis  retired  to  Ports- 
mouth, but  a  reinforcement  of  near  three  thousand  European  troops 
arriving  at  New  York,  Clinton  countermanded  his  orders,  and 
directed  Cornwallis  to  take  a  position  on  the  Chesapeake  and  be 
ready  to  act  on  the  neighboring  states.  A  variety  of  circumstances, 
beyond  the  control  of  the  commander-in-chief,  rendering  the  project- 
ed enterprise  against  New  York  of  doubtful  expedience,  his  attention 
was  turned  towards  the  south,  and  when  he  learnt  that  de  Grasse, 
with  a  large  French  fleet  with  three  thousand  soldiers  on  board,  was 
to  sail  from  Cape  Francois  to  the  Chesapeake,  the  naval  superiority 
which  would  be  thus  obtained  decided  him  in  favor  of  southern 
operations.  He  directed  Lafayette  so  to  dispose  of  the  forces  in 
Virginia,  that  Cornwallis  could  not  escape  to  Charleston,  should  he 
make  the  attempt ;  but  the  British  commander,  looking  towards  the 
sea-board  for  relief,  as  well  as  in  compliance  with  his  orders,  collected 
his  whole  force,  and  entrenched  himself  at  Yorktown. 

Washington,  after  providing  for  the  defence  of  the  posts  on  the 
Hudson,  led  his  army  down  the  west  side  of  that  river,  so  as  to  mask 
his  intention  by  exciting  apprehensions  for  Staten  Island,  and  it  was 
not  until  he  had  passed  the  Delaware,  that  his  real  object  was  sus- 
pected by  the  British  commander.  When  the  allied  army  reached 
the  Chesapeake,  the  French  fleet  had  already  arrived  there,  and  the 
necessary  preparations  for  the  investment  of  Yorktown  being  complet- 
ed in  a  few  days,  on  the  night  of  the  6th  of  October,  the  first  parallel 

17 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

was  commenced  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  British  Hnes,  and 
the  siege  was  pressed  with  such  effective  vigor,  that  on  the  17th, 
Cornwalhs,  finding  his  position  no  longer  tenable,  beat  a  parley ;  and 
on  the  19th,  surrendered.  The  army,  amounting  to  seven  thousand 
men,  wiih  their  arms,  military  chest,  and  public  stores,  were  surren- 
dered to  Washington  ;  the  ships  and  seamen  to  the  Count  de  Grasse. 
This  was  the  last  military  achievement  in  which  the  commander-in- 
chief  was  personally  engaged. 

Happily  for  the  United  States,  the  people  of  Great  Britain,  weary 
of  the  protracted  and  unsuccessful  conflict,  now  became  clamorous 
for  peace ;  the  determination  of  the  king  and  his  ministers  at  length 
gave  way  to  the  popular  will ;  and  negotiations  were  commenced 
on  the  basis  of  the  independence  of  the  thirteen  provinces.  The 
overruling  care  of  a  beneficent  providence  had  been  manifested  in 
numerous  events  of  the  war,  but  in  none  more  plainly  than  in  this, 
that  when  the  means  of  maintaining  an  organized  resistance  failed, 
they  ceased  to  be  necessary.  But  the  prospect  of  peace  and  inde- 
pendence was  dimmed  by  the  abject  poverty  of  the  country,  and  by 
the  gloomy  fears  of  the  course  the  army  might  adopt  when  its  re- 
duction should  be  ordered.  For  a  long  time  it  had  been  sustained 
by  temporary  expedients,  and  through  1782  almost  the  whole 
receipts  of  the  treasury  had  been  devoted  to  its  subsistence  alone. 
To  pay  the  troops  was  impossible,  and  yet  the  public  faith  had 
been  pledged,  not  only  for  their  pay,  but  for  half  pay  for  life  to  the 
officers.  This  pledge  had  retained  them  in  the  field  to  the  ruin  of 
their  private  affairs  ;  but  it  appeared  certain  that  when  they  should 
be  disbanded,  the  funds  for  that  purpose  would  never  be  supplied, 
as  the  requisite  number  of  "  the  sovereign  states"  had  not  concurred 
in  the  measure. 

As  the  negotiations  for  peace  advanced,  the  irritation  of  the  army 
increased.  Washington  saw  the  gathermg  storm,  and  determined 
to  remain  with  the  troops  and  give  the  weight  of  his  influence  to 
preserve  the  tranquillity  of  the  country,  although  his  presence  in  the 
camp  had  otherwise  ceased  to  be  necessary.  In  a  private  letter  to 
the  secretary  of  war,  after  expressing  his  conviction  that  the  officers 
would  return  to  private  life  with  alacrity,  could  they  be  placed  in 
suitable  circumstances,  he  adds,  "when  I  see  such  a  number  of 
men,  goaded  by  a  thousand  stings  of  reflection  on  the  past,  and  anti 
cipation  of  the  future,  about  to  be  turned  into  the  world,  soured  by 
penury,  and  what  they  call  the  ingratitude  of  the  public ;  involved 
in  debt,  without  one  farthing  of  money  to  carry  them  home,  after 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

having  spent  the  flower  of  their  days,  and  many  of  them  their  pa- 
trimonies, in  establishing  the  freedom  and  independence  of  their 
country ;  and  having  sutfered  every  thing  which  human  nature  is 
capable  of  enduring  on  this  side  of  death.     I  repeat  it,  when  I  reflect 
on  these  irritating  circumstances,  unattended  by  one  thing  to  sooth 
their  feehngs,  or  brighten  the  gloomy  prospect,  I  cannot  avoid  ap- 
prehending that  a  train  of  evils  will  follow  of  a  very  serious  nature." 
In  December,  1782,  when  the  army  was  settled  in  winter  quarters 
near   the   Hudson,  the   important   crisis   approached.      A  general 
opinion   prevailed  that  congress  possessed  neither   the  power   nor 
the  inclination  to  comply  with  its  engagements  to  the  army,  and  the 
officers,  with  a  desire  of  removing  the  obnoxious  features  of  the  half 
pay  establishment  without  foregoing  their  own  rights,  solicited  from 
congress  the  payment  of  the  money  actually  due  them,  and  a  com- 
mutation of  the  half  pay  for  a  sum  in  gross.     Three  months  passed 
away  without  any  prospect  of  relief;  in  the  mean  time  the  intelli- 
gence of  peace  was  received.     The  irritable  temper  of  the  army  now 
seemed  to  require  but  a  slight  impulse  to  impel  it  to  a  haughty  de- 
mand of  justice  from  the  constituted  authorities,  or  to  assume  the 
power  of  redressing  their  own  grievances  by  some  desperate  effort. 
A  meeting  of  the  officers  was  called  by  an  anonymous  notice,  and  an 
address  to  the  army  was  privately  circulated,  which  was  well  calcu- 
lated to  inflame  their  passions  and  determine  them  to  immediate 
action,  "  courting  the  auspices  and  inviting  the  direction  of  their 
illustrious  leader."     Fortunately  the  patriotism  of  "  their  illustrious 
leader"  was  far  above  the  comprehension  of  that  ambition  which 
might  have  influenced  a  less  noble  spirit  to  "  pass  the  Rubicon."     At 
that  moment  the  destinies  of  his  country  were  undoubtedly  in  his 
keepino-,  and  wisely  great  in  resolution  as  in  action,  he  turned  the 
threatened  evfl  to  the  glory  of  his  country.     The  storm  was  still- 
ed ;  the  army  was  disbanded ;  and  on  the  4th  of  December,  the 
chief  bid  adieu  to  his  officers  in  New  York.     Endeared  to  each 
other  by  years  of  affectionate  intercourse  in  perfl  and  in  triumph,  the 
hour  of  their  separation  was  solemn  and  affecting  ;  the  thoughts  and 
feelings  of  the  party — too  intense  for  utterance — were  expressed  only 
by  the  silent  tear,  the  warm  grasp  of  the  hand,  and  the  quick  pulsa- 
tion of  heart  pressed  to  heart. 

Every  duty  of  the  station  to  which  he  had  been  appointed,  being 
now  fulfilled,  Washington  hastened  to  Annapolis,  where  congress 
was  then  in  session,  and  on  the  23d,  at  an  audience  appointed  for 

the  purpose,  he  returned  his  commission  to  the  hands  from  which 

la 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

he  had  received  it.  Thus  displaying  the  siibhme  spectacle  of  a  tri- 
umphant warrior  in  the  fulness  of  his  fame,  divesting  himself  of 
power,  and  dedicating  the  laurels  he  had  won,  upon  the  altar  of  his 
country.  By  his  skill,  firmness,  perseverance,  and  industry ;  and  by 
the  happy  union  of  prudence  with  courage,  and  a  correct  judgment 
with  a  spirit  of  enterprise,  he  had  given  liberty,  peace,  and  a  name 
among  nations  to  his  country ;  but  by  this  last  act  of  public  virtue, 
he  consummated  his  own  glory,  and  "  changed  mankind's  idea  of 
political  greatness."  Every  age  has  had  its  hero,  but  as  a  perfect 
pattern  of  pure,  disinterested  patriotism,  Washington,  as  yet,  re- 
mains without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  the  world.  To  call  him 
great,  would  be  to  class  him  with  the  Alexanders,  the  Csesars,  and 
the  Fredericks  of  other  nations,  he  is  therefore  more  justly,  appropri- 
ately, and  affectionately  designated  as  "  the  father  of  his  country." 

Washington,  having  retired  to  Mount  Yernon,  he  devoted  his 
attention  to  the  improvement  of  his  plantation,  with  a  resolution 
never  again  to  appear  in  public  life.  "  The  scene  is  at  length  closed," 
said  he,  three  days  after  his  arrival  there,  "  I  feel  myself  eased  of  a 
load  of  public  care,  and  hope  to  spend  the  remainder  of  my  days  in 
cultivating  the  affections  of  good  men,  and  the  practice  of  the  domes- 
tic virtues."  With  a  mind  capable  of  the  most  enlarged  views,  he 
traced  the  broad  map  of  his  country,  and  pointed  out  its  capabilities 
and  future  greatness.  In  a  letter  to  the  earl  of  Buchan,  written 
while  engaged  in  promoting  some  works  of  immediate  utility,  he 
said,  "  if  left  undisturbed,  we  shall  open  a  communication  by  water 
with  all  the  lakes  northward  and  westward  of  us,  with  which  we 
have  territorial  connexions  ;  and  an  inland  in  a  few  years  more  from 
Rhode  Island  to  Georgia ;"  at  the  same  time  he  regarded  with  atten- 
tion every  improvement  in  the  economy  of  the  farmer. 

But  the  country  was  not  at  rest,  and  Washington  had  been  too 
deeply  interested  in  all  that  concerned  it,  to  be  allowed  to  withdraw 
his  attention  entirely  from  public  affairs  ;  indeed,  the  embarrassments 
of  the  government  gave  him  great  anxiety.  While  the  general  go- 
vernment was  dependent  on  the  separate  action  of  thirteen  indepen- 
dent state  sovereignties,  it  struggled  with  difficulties  which  could  not 
be  removed,  and  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  whole  fabric  must 
fall  to  ruin,  or  a  new  system  be  adopted.  On  this  subject  there  ex- 
isted a  diversity  of  opinions  in  the  country,  which  rendered  the  result 
for  a  long  time  doubtful.  Tumults,  insurrections,  and  commotions 
agitated  all  reflecting  men.  At  length  a  convention  was  held  at 
Philadelphia  by  the  representatives  of  twelve  states ;  Washington 

20 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 

was  unanimously  chosen  president,  and  after  a  session  of  about  four 
months,  the  present  national  constitution  was  framed,  which  being 
afterwards  approved  by  the  people  of  eleven  states,  became  the  su- 
preme law. 

No  sooner  were  the  public  in  possession  of  this  instrument,  than 
their  attention  was  directed  to  Washington  as  the  only  man  to  be 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  nation.  His  consent  was  hard  to  win  ;  but 
overcome  by  the  entreaties  of  personal  friends,  and  in  obedience  to 
the  voice  of  the  people,  he  once  more  gave  himself  to  their  service, 
and  was  unanimously  elected  the  first  president  of  the  United  States. 
"I  wish,"  said  he,  when  his  election  was  announced,  "that  there 
may  not  be  reason  for  regretting  the  choice,  for  indeed  all  I  can 
promise,  is  to  accomplish  that  which  can  be  done  by  an  honest  zeal." 
Two  days  after,  he  "  bade  adieu  to  Mount  Vernon,  to  private  life,  and 
domestic  felicity,"  and  proceeded  to  the  seat  of  government. 

His  progress  from  Alexandria  to  New  York  was  marked  by  demon- 
strations of  veneration  and  affection  :  the  manner  of  his  reception  at 
Trenton,  was  so  truly  appropriate  and  affecting,  that  it  deserves 
especial  notice.  In  addition  to  the  usual  military  compliments,  the 
bridge  over  the  creek  running  through  the  town  was  covered  by  a 
triumphal  arch  supported  by  thirteen  pillars,  entwined  and  orna- 
mented with  flowers  and  laurel,  and  bearing  on  the  front  in  large 
gilt  letters, 

THE    DEFENDER    OF    THE       MOTHER.S 

WILL  BE  THE 

PROTECTOR    OP    THE    DAUGHTERS. 

Here  were  assembled  the  mothers  and  daughters,  dressed  in  white, 
each  bearing  a  basket  of  flowers,  which  were  strown  before  the  chief, 
while  they  sang  in  chorus. 

Welcome,  mighty  chief,  once  more 
Welcome  to  this  grateful  shore; 
Now  no  mercenary  foe 
Aims  again  the  fatal  blow, 
Aims  at  thee  the  fatal  blow. 

Virgins  fair  and  matrons  grave, 
Those  thy  conquering  arms  did  save, 
Build  for  thee  triumphal  bowers ; 
Strew,  ye  fair,  his  way  with  flowers, 
Strew  your  hero's  way  with  flowers. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1789,  Washington  arrived  at  New  York, 
and  on  the  30th  was  inaugurated  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  con- 
course of  citizens,  who  rent  the  air  with  joyous  acclamations. 

31 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

His  administration  of  the  new  government  commenced  under  the 
pressure  of  numerous  embarrassments ;  an  empty  treasury,  millions 
of  debt,  domestic  agitation,  and  foreign  intrigue.  The  president 
filled  the  departments  with  able  men,  solely  selected  with  a  reference 
to  justice  and  public  good,  and  gave  that  cast  to  the  administration 
of  national  affairs,  which  all  his  successors — however  most  of  them 
may  have  differed  from  him  in  abstract  opinions — have  found  it 
necessary  to  adopt  and  practice  on  great  and  important  occasions. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year  Washington  visited  the  New  England 
states,  and  experienced  great  satisfaction  in  witnessing  the  prosper- 
ous and  happy  condition  of  the  people ;  in  this  tour  he  omitted 
Rhode  Island,  as  that  state  had  not  then  adopted  the  federal  consti- 
tution, but  he  visited  it  in  the  following  year;  after  which  he  retired 
to  Mount  Vernon,  as  the  great  change  in  his  habits  of  life,  and  his 
close  application  to  the  duties  of  his  station,  had  so  much  impaired 
his  health,  that  a  respite  from  ofiicial  cares  was  not  to  be  deferred. 
In  1791,  he  passed  through  the  southern  states,  executing  on  his 
route  the  power  invested  in  him  of  selecting  the  place  for  the  future 
capital  of  the  nation. 

Although  the  constitution  had  been  adopted  by  a  majority  of  the 
people  in  all  the  states,  there  yet  remained  a  strong  party  in  most  of 
them,  jealous  of  the  power  of  the  government  of  the  union,  and  zeal- 
ous in  their  attachments  to  state  sovereignty ;  men  of  the  highest 
talents  and  purest  integrity  were  divided  in  their  opinions  on  this 
fundamental  principle,  which  all  the  improvement  in  the  condition 
of  the  country  could  not  reconcile.  Domestic  prosperity  and  a  few 
years  of  tranquillity  might  have  allayed  the  violence  of  party  excite- 
ment, but  the  turn  of  European  affairs  gave  it  a  new  impulse  and  a 
wider  range. 

When  the  French  revolution  began,  it  was  hailed  in  America  as 
the  dawn  of  liberty  in  Europe ;  and  as  there  were  parts  of  the  Bri- 
tish treaty  of  peace  which  had  not  been  promptly  executed  by  that 
power,  there  existed  a  strong  inclination  to  favor  France.  Wash- 
ington decided  on  a  neutral  course,  and  the  friends  of  the  adminis- 
tration on  this  point,  and  the  opposition,  very  generally  became 
identified  with  the  federal  and  anti-federal  parties.  The  firmness 
and  prudence  of  the  president,  aided  by  his  weight  of  character, 
preserved  the  country  from  being  precipitated  into  a  war,  but  it  was 
for  a  long  time  doubtful  whether  he  would  be  able  to  withstand  the 
tide  of  popular  inclination. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

The  time  for  a  ne\V  election  having  arrived,  Washington  was 
again  unanimously  chosen  president. 

We  cannot  enter  upon  the  poUtical  history  of  this  period,  without 
stepping  beyond  the  Hmits  of  our  plan,  and  at  last  falling  short  of  a 
satisfactory  narrative.  Of  the  sincerity  of  his  opinions,  the  fact  is 
sufficient  that  at  the  call  of  his  country,  he  surrendered  his  choice 
of  life,  and  risking  his  popularity  and  influence,  as  in  the  revolution 
he  had  risked  his  life  and  fortune,  when  all  might  be  lost  and,  per- 
sonally, nothing  to  be  gained;  of  the  wisdom  of  his  measures,  every 
succeeding  year  has  borne  ample  testimony ;  of  the  deep,  unwaver- 
ing love  he  bore  his  country,  his  whole  life  gave  evidence.  He 
sought  to  execute  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  the  people,  honestly ; 
to  give  a  regular  operation  to  the  political  machine,  without  violence 
and  without  intrigue.  No  machiavelian  policy,  no  state  trickery 
was  practised ;  his  friends  and  his  foes  always  knew  where  to  find 
him,  and  foreign  powers  learned  to  rely  as  much  on  his  integrity  as 
his  own  constituents.  He  had  no  local  partialities  to  gratify,  no 
local  interests  to  subserve ;  he  thought  and  acted  for  the  welfare  of 
the  whole,  as  a  nation,  which  was  about  to  take  its  rank  in  the  scale 
of  empires,  and  on  whose  future  character  and  destinies,  his  admi- 
nistration must  have  an  enduring  influence. 

When  the  second  term  of  office  was  about  to  expire,  Washington 
declined  a  reelection  ;  and,  with  an  anxiety  worthy  of  his  character, 
to  render  a  lasting  benefit  to  his  country,  he  published  a  valedictory 
address,  in  which  he  warned,  admonished,  and  advised,  with  the  af- 
fectionate earnestness  of  a  father  and  the  sagacity  of  a  sage,  to  guard 
ao-ainst  foreign  influence,  to  avoid  all  interference  with  European 
politics,  and  the  baneful  violence  of  party  spirit  and  sectional 
jealousy;  above  all,  he  urged  the  importance  of  "cherishing  a  cor- 
dial, habitual,  and  immovable  attachment  to  the  Union,  as  the  main 
pillar  in  the  edifice  of  independence,  the  support  of  tranquillity  at 
home  and  peace  abroad  ;  of  safety,  prosperity,  and  liberty." 

After  witnessing  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Adams  as  his  successor 
in  office,  Washington  hastened  to  seek  at  Mount  Vernon  that  calm 
felicity,  that  happy  retirement,  which  he  had  long  fondly  anticipated; 
but  the  din  of  war  soon  broke  in  upon  the  tranquil  shades  of  his  retreat. 
The  spirit  of  the  veteran  soldier  was  roused  by  the  insults  offered  to 
his  country  by  France,  and  laying  aside  all  considerations  of  age  or 
ease,  he  accepted  the  chief  command  of  the  army  of  the  United 
States,  on  condition  that  he  should  not  be  called  into  the  field  until 

S3 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

his  presence  became  indispensable ; — that  necessity  never  occurred, 
but  before  peace  was  restored,  Washington  was  no  more. 

On  the  night  of  the  13th  of  December,  1799,  (having  been  exposed 
to  a  shower  in  the  morning,)  he  was  attacked  by  an  inflammatory 
affection  of  the  throat,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  after,  the  flrst  himi- 
nary  of  America  was  removed  to  a  higher,  brighter,  happier  sphere. 

The  shock  of  this  event  fell  upon  the  country  with  the  unexpect- 
ed suddenness  of  an  earthquake,  dismay  and  affliction  suspended  all 
business ;  all  ages  and  classes  united  in  sorrow,  and  in  demonstrations 
of  veneration  and  affection. 

On  the  18th,  his  remains  were  deposited  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Having:  thus  sketched  the  chief  events  in  the  life  of  Washington, 
very  little  more  seems  to  be  required ;  the  value,  the  importance,  the 
results  of  that  life  are  before  the  world.  In  the  place  of  thirteen 
scattered,  oppressed,  and  degraded  colonies  struggling  in  poverty, 
and  united  only  by  the  resolution  to  be  free — we  have  an  empire, 
rich,  powerful,  and  independent ;  to  found  which,  he,  more  than  any 
other  individual,  contributed. 

In  life,  malice  never  tarnished  his  honor,  envy  forbore  to  practice 
her  craft ;  "  favored  of  heaven,  he  departed  without  exhibiting  the 
weakness  of  humanity ;  magnanimous  in  death,  the  .darkness  of  the 
grave  could  not  obscure  his  brightness."*  "  For  himself,  he  had  lived 
long  enough  to  life  and  to  glory ;  for  his  fellow  citizens,  if  their 
prayers  could  have  been  answered,  he  would  have  been  immortal,"t 


*  Marshall.  t  Adams. 


-d  :i,'.OJt.,:.,  1.    K-h. 


jt^rcisifo, Mi^m^risi^  w;£^&3ii£K3^c&ircc>Fj' 


o^    U6p^.^y^/P%- 


MRS.    MARTHA     WASHINGTON. 


Descended  from  an  ancient  family,  which  first  migrated  to  the 
colony  of  Virginia,  in  the  person  of  the  Reverend  Orlando  Jones,  a 
clergyman  of  Wales  :  Martha  Dandridge  was  born  in  the  county 
of  New  Kent,  colony  of  Virginia,  in  May,  1732.  The  education  of 
females,  in  the  early  days  of  the  colonial  settlements,  was  almost 
exclusively  of  a  domestic  character,  and  by  instructors  who  were 
entertained  in  the  principal  families,  that  were  too  few  and  too  "  far 
"between"  to  admit  of  the  establishment  of  public  schools.  Of  the 
early  life  of  Miss  Dandridge,  we  are  only  able  to  record,  that  the 
young  lady  excelled  in  personal  charms,  which,  with  pleasing  man- 
ners, and  a  general  amiability  of  demeanor,  caused  her  to  be  distin 
guished  amid  the  fair  ones  who  usually  assembled  at  the  court  of 
Williamsburg,  then  held  by  the  royal  governors  of  Virginia. 

At  seventeen  years  of  age,  or  m  1749,  Miss  Dandridge  was 
married  to  Colonel  Daniel  Parke  Custis,  of  the  White  House,  county 
of  New  Kent.  This  was  a  match  of  affection.  The  father  of  the 
bridegroom,  the  Honorable  John  Custis,  of  Arlington,  a  king's  coun- 
sellor, had  matrimonial  views  of  a  more  ambitious  character  for  his 
only  son  and  heir,  and  was  desirous  of  a  connection  with  the  Byrd 
family,  of  Westover,  Colonel  Byrd  being,  at  that  time,  from  his 
influence  and  vast  possessions,  almost  a  count  palatine  of  Virginia. 
The  counsellor  having  at  length  given  his  consent,  the  newly  mar- 
ried pair  settled  at  the  White  House,  on  the  banks  of  the  Pamunkey 
river,  where  Colonel  Custis  became  an  eminently  successful  planter. 
The  fruits  of  this  marriage  were,  a  girl,  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
Daniel,  Martha,  and  John.  Daniel  was  a  child  of  mucli  promise, 
and  it  was  generally  believed,  that  his  untimely  death  hastened  his 
father  to  the  grave.  Martha  arrived  at  womanhood,  and  died  at 
Mount  Vernon  in  1770,  and  John,  the  father  of  the  biographer,* 


♦George  W.  P.  Custis,  Esq.,  of  Arlington,  D.  C. 

1 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

perished  while  in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  the  suite  of  the 
commander-in-chief,  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  1781,  aged  twenty- 
seven. 

On  the  decease  of  her  husband,  which  happened  at  about  middle 
age,  Mrs.  Custis  found  herself  at  once  a  very  young,  and  among 
the  very  wealthiest  widows  in  the  colony.  Independently  of  exten- 
sive and  valuable  landed  estates,  the  colonel  left  thirty  thousand 
pounds  sterling  in  money,  with  half  that  amount  to  his  only  daughter, 
Martha.  It  is  related  of  this  amiable  gentleman,  that,  when  on  his 
death  bed,  he  sent  for  a  tenant,  to  whom,  in  settling  an  account,  he 
was  due  one  shilling.  The  tenant  begged  that  the  colonel,  who  had 
ever  been  most  kind  to  his  tenantry,  would  not  trouble  himself  at  all 
about  such  a  trifle,  as  he,  the  tenant,  had  forgotten  it  long  ago.  "But 
I  have  not,"  rejoined  the  just  and  conscientious  landlord,  and  bidding 
his  creditor  take  up  the  coin,  which  had  been  purposely  placed  on 
his  pillow,  exclaimed,  "  Now  my  accounts  are  all  closed  with  this 
world;"  and  shortly  after  expired.  Mrs.  Custis,  as  sole  executrix, 
managed  the  extensive  landed  and  pecuniary  concerns  of  the  estates 
with  surprising  ability,  making  loans,  on  mortgage,  of  moneys,  and, 
through  her  stewards  and  agents,  conducting  the  sales  or  exporta- 
tion of  the  crops,  to  the  best  possible  advantage. 

While  on  the  subject  of  the  moneyed  concerns  of  seventy  years  ago, 
we  hope  to  be  pardoned  for  a  brief  digression.  The  orchard  of  fine 
apple  trees  is  yet  standing  near  Bladensburg,  that  was  presented  to 
a  Mr.  Ross,  by  the  father  of  the  late  venerated  Charles  Carroll  of 
Carrollton,  as  a  recompense  for  Mr,  Ross's  having  introduced  to  Mr. 
Carroll  a  good  borrower  of  his  money.  A  Colonel  T.,  one  of  the 
ancient  dons  of  Maryland,  being  observed  riding  over  the  race  course 
of  Annapolis  in  a  very  disturbed  and  anxious  manner,  was  accosted 
by  his  friends,  with  a  "  What 's  the  matter,  colonel  ?  Are  you  alarmed 
for  the  success  of  your  filly,  about  to  start  ?"  "  Oh  no,"  replied  T., 
"but  I  have  a  thousand  pounds  by  me,  to  loan,  and  here  have  I  been 
riding  about  the  course  the  whole  morning,  and  not  a  single  bor- 
rower can  I  get  for  my  money."  We  opine,  that  the  same  anxieties 
would  not  be  long  suffered  in  1834. 

It  was  in  1758,  that  an  officer,  attired  in  a  military  undress,  and 
attended  by  a  body  servant,  tall  and  militaire  as  his  chief,  crossed 
the  ferry  called  Williams',  over  the  Pamunkey,  a  branch  of  the  York 
river.  On  the  boat  touching  the  southern,  or  New  Kent  side,  the 
soldier's  progress  was  arrested  by  one  of  those  personages,  who  give 
the  beau  ideal  of  the  Virginia  gentleman  of  the  old  regime,  the  very 


MRS.  MARTHA  WASHINGTON. 

soul  of  kindliness  and  hospitality.  It  was  in  vain  the  soldier  urged 
his  business  at  Williamsburg,  important  communications  to  the 
governor,  cfcc.  Mr.  Chamberlayne,  on  whose  domain  the  militaire 
had  just  landed,  would  hear  of  no  excuse.  Colonel  Washinp-ton 
was  a  name  and  character  so  dear  to  all  the  Virginians,  that  his 
passing  by  one  of  the  old  castles  of  Virginia,  without  calling  and 
partaking  of  the  hospitalities  of  the  host,  was  entirely  out  of  the 
question.  The  colonel,  however,  did  not  surrender  at  discretion, 
but  stoutly  maintained  his  ground,  till  Chamberlayne  bringing  up 
his  reserve,  in  the  intimation  that  he  would  introduce  his  friend  to 
a  young  and  charming  widow,  then  beneath  his  roof,  the  soldier 
capitulated,  on  condition  that  he  should  dine,  only  dine,  and  then, 
by  pressing  his  charger  and  borrowing  of  the  night,  he  would  reach 
Williamsburg  before  his  excellency  could  shake  off  his  mornino- 
slumbers.  Orders  were  accordingly  issued  to  Bishop,  the  colonel's 
body  servant  and  faithful  follower,  who,  together  with  the  fine 
English  charger,  had  been  bequeathed  by  the  dying  Braddock  to 
Major  Washington,  on  the  famed  and  fatal  field  of  the  Monono-ahela. 
Bishop,  bred  in  the  school  of  European  discipline,  raised  his  hand  to 
his  cap,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Your  honor's  orders  shall  be  obeyed." 

The  colonel  now  proceeded  to  the  mansion,  and  was  introduced 
to  various  guests,  (for  when  was  a  Virginian  domicil  of  the  olden 
time  without  guests  ?)  and  above  all,  to  the  charming  widow.  Tra- 
dition relates  that  they  were  mutually  pleased  on  this  their  first 
interview,  nor  is  it  remarkable ;  they  were  of  an  age  when  impressions 
are  strongest.  The  lady  was  fair  to  behold,  of  fascinating  manners, 
and  splendidly  endowed  with  worldly  benefits.  The  hero^fresh  from 
his  early  fields,  redolent  of  fame,  and  with  a  form  on  which  "  every 
god  did  seem  to  set  his  seal,  to  give  the  world  assurance  of  a  man." 

The  morning  passed  pleasantly  away,  evening  came,  with  Bishop, 
true  to  his  orders  and  firm  at  his  post,  holding  the  favorite  charo-er  with 
the  one  hand,  while  the  other  was  waiting  to  offer  the  ready  stirrup. 
The  sun  sank  in  the  horizon,  and  yet  the  colonel  appeared  not.  And 
then  the  old  soldier  marvelled  at  his  chief's  delay.  "  'T  was  strano-e, 
'twas  passing  strange"— surely  he  was  not  wont  to  be  a  single 
moment  behind  his  appointments,  for  he  was  the  most  punctual  of 
all  punctual  men.  Meantime,  the  host  enjoyed  the  scene  of  the 
veteran  on  duty  at  the  gate,  while  the  colonel  was  so  agreeably 
employed  in  the  parlor  ;  and  proclaiming  that  no  guest  ever  left  his 
house  after  sunset,  his  military  visiter  was,  without  much  difficultv, 
persuaded  to  order  Bishop  to  put  up  the  horses  for  the  night.     I'he 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

sun  rode  high  in  the  heavens  the  ensuing  day,  when  the  enamored 
soldier  pressed  with  his  spur  his  charger's  side,  and  speeded  on  his 
way  to  the  seat  of  government,  where,  having  despatched  his  pubHc 
business,  he  retraced  his  steps,  and,  at  the  White  House,  the  engage- 
ment took  place,  with  preparations  for  the  marriage. 

And  much  hath  the  biographer  heard  of  that  marriage,  from  gray- 
haired  domestics,  who  waited  at  the  board  where  love  made  the 
feast  and  Washington  was  the  guest.  And  rare  and  high  was  the 
revelry,  at  that  palmy  period  of  Virginia's  festal  age  ;  for  many  were 
gathered  to  that  marriage,  of  the  good,  the  great,  the  gifted,  and  the 
gay,  while  Virginia,  with  joyous  acclamation,  hailed  in  her  youthful 
hero  a  prosperous  and  happy  bridegroom. 

"xlnd  so  you  remember  when  Colonel  W^ashington  came  a  courting 
of  your  mistress?"  said  the  biographer  to  old  Cully,  in  his  hundredth 
year.  "Aye,  master,  that  I  do,"  replied  this  ancient  family  servant, 
who  had  lived  to  see  five  generations  ;  "  great  times,  sir,  great  times  ! 
Shall  never  see  the  like  again !"  "  And  Washington  looked  some- 
thing like  a  man,  a  proper  man;  hey.  Cully?"  "  Never  seed  the  like, 
sir ;  never  the  likes  of  him,  tho'  I  have  seen  many  in  my  day :  so 
tall,  so  straia:ht !  and  then  he  sat  a  horse  and  rode  with  such  an  air  ! 
Ah,  sir  ;  he  was  like  no  one  else  !  Many  of  the  grandest  gentlemen, 
in  their  gold  lace,  were  at  the  wedding,  but  none  looked  like  the 
man  himself!"  Strong,  indeed,  must  have  been  the  impressions 
which  the  person  and  manner  of  Washington  made  upon  the  rude, 
"  untutor'd  mind"  of  this  poor  negro,  since  the  lapse  of  three  quarters 
of  a  century  had  not  sufficed  to  efface  them. 

The  precise  date  of  the  marriage,  the  biographer  has  been  unable 
to  discover,  having  in  vain  searched  among  the  records  of  the  vestry 
of  St.  Peter's  church.  New  Kent,  of  which  the  Reverend  Mr.  Mossom, 
a  Cambridge  scholar,  was  the  rector,  and  performed  the  cei;emony, 
it  is  believed,  about  1759.  A  short  time  after  their  marriage.  Colonel 
and  Mrs.  Washington  removed  to  Mount  Vernon  on  the  Potomac, 
and  permanently  settled  there. 

The  mansion  of  Mount  Vernon,  more  than  seventy  years  ago, 
was  a  very  small  building,  compared  with  its  present  extent,  and  the 
numerous  out  buildings  attached  to  it.  The  mansion  house  consisted 
of  four  rooms  on  a  floor,  forming  the  centre  of  the  present  building, 
and  remained  pretty  much  in  that  state  up  to  1774,  when  Colonel 
Washington  repaired  to  the  first  congress  in  Philadelphia,  and  from 
thence  to  the  command-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  his  country,  assembled 
before  Cambridge,  July,  1775.     The  coiranander-in-chief  returned 


MRS.  MARTHA   WASHINGTON. 

no  more  to  reside  at  Mount  Vernon  till  after  the  peace  of  1783. 
Mrs.  or  Lady  Washington,  as  we  shall  now  call  her,  such  being 
the  appellation  she  always  bore  in  the  army,  accompanied  the  gene- 
ral to  the  lines  before  Boston,  and  witnessed  its  siege  and  evacuation. 
She  then  returned  to  Virginia,  the  subsequent  campaigns  being  of  too 
momentous  a  character  to  allow  of  her  accompanying  the  army. 

At  the  close  of  each  campaign  an  aid-de-camp  repaired  to  Mount 
Vernon,  to  escort  the  lady  to  the  head-quarters.  The  arrival  of 
Lady  Washington  at  camp  was  an  event  much  anticipated,  and 
was  always  the  signal  for  the  ladies  of  the  general  officers  to  repair 
to  the  bosoms  of  their  lords.  The  arrival  of  the  aid-de-camp, 
escorting  the  plain  chariot,  with  the  neat  postillions  in  their  scarlet 
and  white  liveries,  was  deemed  an  epoch  in  the  army,  and  served  to 
diffuse  a  cheering  influence  amid  the  gloom  which  hung  over  our 
destinies  at  Valley  Forge,  Morristown,  and  West  Point.  Lady 
Washington  always  remained  at  the  head-quarters  till  the  opening 
of  the  campaign,  and  often  remarked,  in  after  life,  that  it  had  been 
her  fortune  to  hear  the  first  cannon  at  the  opening,  and  the  last  at 
the  closing,  of  all  the  campaigns  of  the  revolutionary  war.  During 
the  whole  of  that  mighty  period  when  we  struggled  for  independence, 
Lady  Washington  preserved  her  equanimity,  together  with  a  de- 
gree of  cheerfulness  that  inspired  all  around  her  with  the  brightest 
hopes  for  our  ultimate  success.  To  her  alone  a  heavy  cloud  of 
sorrow  hung  over  the  conclusion  of  the  glorious  campaign  of  1781. 
Her  only  child,  while  attending  to  his  duties  as  aid-de-camp  to  the 
general-in-chief,  during  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  was  seized  with  an 
attack  of  the  camp  fever,  then  raging  to  a  frightful  extent  within  the 
enemy's  intrenchments.  Ardently  attached  to  the  cause  of  his 
country,  having  witnessed  many  of  the  most  important  events  of  the 
revolutionary  contest,  from  the  siege  of  Boston,  in  1775,  to  the  virtual 
termination  of  the  war  in  1781,  the  sufferer  beheld  the  surrender  of 
the  British  army  on  the  memorable  19th  of  October,  and  was  thence 
removed  to  Eltham,  in  New  Kent,  where  he  was  attended  by  Dr. 
Craik,  chief  of  the  medical  staff".  Washington,  learning  the  extreme 
danger  of  his  step-son,  to  whom  he  was  greatly  attached,  privately 
left  the  camp  before  Yorktown,  while  yet  it  rang  with  the  shouts  of 
victory,  and,  attended  by  a  single  officer,  rode  with  all  speed  to 
Eltham.  It  was  just  day  dawn  when  the  commander-in-chief  sprung 
from  his  panting  charger,  and  summoning  Dr.  Craik  to  his  presence, 
inquired  if  there  was  any  hope.  Craik  shook  his  head,  when  the 
chief,  being  shown  into  a  private  room,  threw  himself  on  a  bed, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

absorbed  in  grief.  The  poor  sufferer,  being  in  his  last  agonies, 
soon  after  expired.  The  general  remained  for  some  time  closeted 
with  his  lady,  then  remounted  and  returned  to  the  camp. 

It  was  after  the  peace  of  1783,  that  General  Washington  set  in 
earnest  about  the  improvements  in  building  and  laying  off  the  gar- 
dens and  grounds  that  now  adorn  Mount  Yernon.  He  continued  in 
these  gratifying  employments,  occasionally  diversified  by  the  plea- 
sures of  the  chase,  till  1787,  when  he  was  called  to  preside  in  the 
convention  that  formed  the  present  constitution,  and  in  1789,  left  his 
beloved  retirement  to  assume  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  union. 
Durinsf  the  residence  of  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  at  Mount 
Vernon,  after  the  peace  of  1783,  the  ancient  mansion,  always  the 
seat  of  hospitality,  was  crowded  with  guests.  The  officers  of  the 
French  and  American  armies,  with  many  strangers  of  distinction, 
hastened  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  victorious  general,  now  merged 
into  the  illustrious  farmer  of  Mount  Vernon.  During  these  stirring 
times  Mrs.  Washington  performed  the  duties  of  a  Virginia  house- 
wife, and  presided  at  her  well-spread  board,  with  that  ease  and 
elegance  of  manners  which  always  distinguished  her.  At  length 
the  period  arrived  when  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  were  to 
leave  the  delights  of  retirement,  and  to  enter  upon  new  and  elevated 
scenes  of  life.  The  unanimous  voice  of  his  country  hailed  the  hero 
who  had  so  lately  led  her  armies  to  victory,  as  the  chief  magistrate 
of  the  young  empire  about  to  dawn  upon  the  world. 

The  president  and  his  lady  bid  adieu  with  extreme  regret,  to  the 
tranquil  and  happy  shades  where  a  few  years  of  repose  had,  in 
great  measure,  effaced  the  effects  of  the  toils  and  anxieties  of  war : 
where  a  little  Eden  had  bloomed  and  flourished  under  their  fostering 
hands ;  and  where  a  numerous  circle  of  friends  and  relatives  would 
sensibly  feel  the  privation  of  their  departure.  They  departed,  and 
hastened  to  where  duty  called  the  man  of  his  country. 

The  journey  to  New  York,  in  1789,  was  a  continued  triumph. 
The  august  spectacle  at  the  bridge  of  Trenton  brought  tears  to  the 
eyes  of  the  chief,  and  forms  one  of  the  most  brilliant  recollections  of 
the  age  of  Washington. 

Arrived  at  the  seat  of  the  federal  government,  the  president  and 
Mrs.  Washington  formed  their  establishment  upon  a  scale  that, 
while  it  partook  of  all  the  attributes  of  our  republican  institutions, 
possessed  at  the  same  time  that  degree  of  dignity  and  regard  for 
appearances,  so  necessary  to  give  to  our  infant  republic  respect  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world.     The  house  was  handsomely  furnished ;  the 


MRS.  MARTHA  WASHINGTON. 

equipages  neat,  with  horses  of  the  first  order ;  the  servants  wore  the 
family  Uveries;  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  steward  and  housekeeper, 
the  whole  establishment  differed  but  little  from  that  of  a  private 
gentleman.  On  Tuesdays,  from  three  to  four  o'clock,  the  president 
received  the  foreign  ambassadors  and  strangers  who  wished  to  be 
introduced  to  him.  On  these  occasions,  and  when  opening  the 
sessions  of  congress,  the  president  wore  a  dress  sword.  His  personal 
apparel  was  always  remarkable  for  its  being  old  fashioned,  and 
exceedingly  plain  and  neat.  On  Thursdays  were  the  congressional 
dinners,  and  on  Friday  nights,  Mrs.  Washington's  drawing  room. 
The  company  usually  assembled  about  seven,  and  rarely  staid 
exceeding  ten  o'clock.  The  ladies  were  seated,  and  the  president 
passed  around  the  circle,  paying  his  compliments  to  each.  At  the 
drawing  rooms,  Mrs.  Morris  always  sat  at  the  right  of  the  lady  presi- 
dent, and  at  all  the  dinners,  public  or  private,  at  which  Robert 
Morris  was  a  guest,  that  venerable  man  was  placed  at  the  right  of 
Mrs.  Washington.  When  ladies  called  at  the  president's  mansion, 
the  habit  was  for  the  secretaries  and  gentlemen  of  the  president's 
household  to  hand  them  to  and  from  their  carriages  ;  but  when  the 
honored  relicts  of  Greene  and  Montgomery  came  to  the  presidoliad, 
the  president  himself  performed  these  complimentary  duties. 

On  the  great  national  festivals  of  the  fourth  of  July  and  twenty- 
second  of  February,  the  sages  of  the  revolutionary  congress  and  the 
officers  of  the  revolutionary  army  renewed  their  acquaintance  with 
Mrs.  Washington  ;  many  and  kindly  greetings  took  place,  with 
many  a  recollection  of  the  days  of  trial.  The  Cincinnati,  after  paying 
their  respects  to  their  chief,  were  seen  to  file  off"  toward  the  parlor, 
where  Lady  Washington  was  in  waiting  to  receive  them,  and 
where  Wayne,  and  Mifflin,  and  Dickenson,  and  Stewart,  and  Moy- 
lan,  and  Hartley,  and  a  host  of  veterans,  were  cordially  welcomed 
as  old  friends,  and  where  many  an  interesting  reminiscence  was 
called  up,  of  the  headquarters  and  the  "  times  of  the  revolution." 

On  Sundays,  unless  the  weather  was  uncommonly  severe,  the 
president  and  Mrs.  Washington  attended  divine  service  at  Christ 
church ;  and  in  the  evenings,  the  president  read  to  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton, in  her  chamber,  a  sermon,  or  some  portion  from  the  sacred 
writings.  No  visiters,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Speaker  Trumbull, 
were  admitted  to  the  presidoliad  on  Sundays. 

There  was  one  description  of  visiters,  however,  to  be  found  about 
the  first  president's  mansion  on  all  days.  The  old  soldiers  repaired, 
as  they  said,  to  head-quarters,  just  to  inquire  after  the  health  of  his 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

excellency  and  Lady  Washington.  They  knew  his  excellency 
was  of  course  much  engaged ;  but  they  would  like  to  see  the  good 
lady.  One  had  been  a  soldier  of  the  life  guard ;  another  had  been  on 
duty  when  the  British  threatened  to  surprise  the  head-quarters ;  a 
third  had  witnessed  that  terrible  fellow,  Cornwallis,  surrender  his 
sword :  each  one  had  some  touching  appeal,  with  which  to  introduce 
himself  to  the  peaceful  head-quarters  of  the  presidoliad.  All  were 
« kindly  bid  to  stay,"  were  conducted  to  the  steward's  apartments, 
and  refreshments  set  before  them ;  and,  after  receiving  some  little 
token  from  the  lady,  with  her  best  wishes  for  the  health  and  happi- 
ness of  an  old  soldier,  they  went  their  ways,  while  blessings  upon 
their  revered  commander  and  the  good  Lady  Washington,  were 
uttered  by  many  a  war-worn  veteran  of  the  revolution. 

In  the  spring  of  1797,  General  and  Mrs.  Washington,  bidding 
adieu  to  public  life,  took  their  leave  of  the  seat  of  government  and 
journeyed  to  the  south,  prepared  in  good  earnest  to  spend  the  rem- 
nant of  their  days  in  their  beloved  retirement  of  Mount  Vernon.  The 
general  reassumed  with  delight  his  agricultural  employments,  while 
the  lady  bustled  again  amid  her  domestic  concerns,  showing  that 
neither  time  nor  her  late  elevated  station  had  in  any  wise  impaired 
her  qualifications  for  a  Virginia  housewife,  and  she  was  now  verging 
upon  threescore  and  ten. 

But  for  Washington  to  be  retired  at  Mount  Vernon  or  any  where 
else,  was  out  of  the  question.  Crowds  which  had  hailed  the  vic- 
torious general  as  the  deliverer  of  his  country,  and  called  him  with 
acclamation  to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  infant  empire,  now  pressed 
to  his  retirement,  to  offer  their  love  and  admiration  to  the  illustrious 
farmer  of  Mount  Vernon. 

Mrs.  Washington  was  an  uncommonly  early  riser,  leaving  her 
pillow  at  day  dawn  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  becoming  at  once 
actively  engaged  in  her  household  duties.  After  breakfast  she 
retired  for  an  hour  to  her  chamber,  which  hour  was  spent  in  prayer 
and  reading  the  Holy  Scriptures,  a  practice  that  she  never  omitted 
during  half  a  century  of  her  varied  life. 

Two  years  had  passed  happily  at  Mount  Vernon ;  for  although  the 
general,  yielding  to  the  claims  of  his  country,  had  again  accepted  the 
command-in-chief  of  her  armies,  yet  he  had  stipulated  with  govern- 
ment that  he  should  not  leave  his  retirement,  unless  upon  the  actual 
invasion  of  an  enemy.  It  was  while  engaged  in  projecting  new  and 
ornamental  improvements  in  his  grounds,  that  the  fiat  of  the  Almighty 
went  forth,  calling  the  being,  the  measure  of  whose  earthly  fame  was 


MRS.  MARTHA  WASHINGTON. 

filled  to  overflowing,  to  his  great  reward  in  higher  and  better  worlds. 
The  illness  was  short  and  severe.  Mrs.  Washington  left  not  the 
chamber  of  the  sufferer,  but  was  seen  kneeling  at  the  bedside,  her 
head  resting  upon  her  Bible,  which  had  been  her  solace  in  the  many 
and  heavy  afliictions  she  had  undergone.  Dr.  Craik,  the  early  friend 
and  companion  in  arms  of  the  chief,  replaced  the  hand,  which  was 
almost  pulseless,  upon  the  pillow,  while  he  turned  away  to  conceal 
the  tears  that  fast  chased  each  other  down  his  furrowed  cheeks. 
The  last  effort  of  the  expiring  Washington  was  worthy  of  the 
Roman  fame  of  his  life  and  character.  He  raised  himself  up,  and 
casting  a  look  of  benignity  on  all  around  him,  as  if  to  thank  them 
for  their  kindly  attentions,  he  composed  his  limbs,  closed  his  eyes, 
and  folding  his  arms  upon  his  bosom,  the  father  of  his  country 
expired,  gently  as  though  an  infant  died  ! 

The  afflicted  relict  could  with  difficulty  be  removed  from  the 
chamber  of  death,  to  which  she  returned  no  more,  but  occupied 
other  apartments  for  the  residue  of  her  days. 

By  an  arrangement  with  government,  Mrs.  Washington  yielded 
the  remains  of  the  chief  to  the  prayer  of  the  nation,  as  expressed 
through  its  representatives  in  congress,  conditioning  that  at  her 
decease,  her  own  remains  should  accompany  those  of  her  husband 
to  the  capital. 

When  the  burst  of  grief  which  followed  the  death  of  the  pater 
patrise  had  a  little  subsided,  visits  of  condolence  to  the  bereaved 
lady  were  made  by  the  first  personages  of  the  land.  The  president 
of  the  United  States,  with  many  other  distinguished  individuals, 
repaired  to  Mount  Yernon,  while  letters,  addresses,  funeral  orations, 
and  all  the  tokens  of  sorrow  and  respect,  loaded  the  mails  from 
every  quarter  of  the  country,  offering  the  sublime  tribute  of  a  nation's 
mourning  for  a  nation's  benefactor. 

Although  the  great  sun  of  attraction  had  sunk  in  the  west,  still 
the  radiance  shed  by  his  illustrious  life  and  actions  drew  crowds  of 
pilgrims  to  his  tomb.  The  establishment  of  Mount  Vernon  was 
kept  up  to  its  former  standard,  and  the  lady  presided  with  her  wonted 
ease  and  dignity  of  manner  at  her  hospitable  board ;  she  relaxed  not 
in  her  attentions  to  her  domestic  concerns,  performing  the  arduous 
duties  of  the  mistress  of  so  extensive  an  establishment,  although  in 
the  sixty-ninth  year  of  her  age,  and  evidently  suffering  in  her  spirits, 
from  the  heavy  bereavement  she  had  so  lately  sustained. 

In  little  more  than  two  years  from  the  demise  of  the  chief,  Mrs. 
Washington  became  alarmingly  ill  from  an  attack  of  bilious  fever. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

From  her  advanced  age,  the  sorrow  that  had  preyed  upon  her  spirits, 
and  the  severity  of  the  attack,  the  family  physician  gave  but  Uttle 
hope  of  a  favorable  issue.  The  lady  herself  was  perfectly  aware 
that  her  hour  was  nigh ;  she  assembled  her  grand-children  at  her 
bedside,  discoursed  to  them  on  their  respective  duties  through  life, 
spoke  of  the  happy  influences  of  religion  upon  the  affairs  of  this 
world,  of  the  consolations  they  had  afforded  her  in  many  and  trying 
afflictions,  and  of  the  hopes  they  held  out  of  a  blessed  immortality; 
and  then,  surrounded  by  her  weeping  relatives,  friends,  and  domestics, 
the  venerable  relict  of  Washington  resigned  her  life  into  the  hands 
of  her  Creator,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  her  age. 

Agreeably  to  her  direction,  her  remains  were  placed  in  a  leaden 
coffin,  and  entombed  by  the  side  of  those  of  the  chief,  to  await  the 
pleasure  of  the  government. 

In  person,  Mrs.  Washington  was  well  formed,  and  somewhat 
below  the  middle  size.  To  judge  from  her  portrait  at  Arlington 
House,  done  by  Woolaston,  when  she  was  in  the  bloom  of  life,  she 
must  at  that  period  have  been  eminently  handsome.  In  her  dress, 
though  plain,  she  was  so  scrupulously  neat,  that  ladies  have  often 
wondered  how  Mrs.  Washington  could  wear  a  gown  for  a  week, 
go  through  her  kitchen  and  laundries,  and  all  the  varieties  of  places 
in  the  routine  of  domestic  management,  and  yet  the  gown  retain  its 
snow-like  whiteness,  unsullied  by  even  a  single  speck.  In  her  con- 
duct to  her  servants,  her  discipline  was  prompt,  yet  humane,  and  her 
household  was  remarkable  for  the  excellence  of  its  domestics. 

Our  filial  task  is  done.  Few  females  have  ever  figured  in  the 
great  drama  of  life,  amid  scenes  so  varied  and  imposing,  with  so 
few  faults  and  so  many  virtues  as  the  subject  of  this  brief  memoir. 
Identified  with  the  father  of  his  country  in  the  great  events  which 
led  to  the  establishment  of  a  nation's  independence,  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington necessarily  partook  much  of  his  thoughts,  his  councils,  and 
his  views.  Often  at  his  side  in  that  awful  period  that  "  tried  men's 
souls,"  her  cheerfulness  soothed  his  anxieties,  her  firmness  inspired 
confidence,  while  her  devotional  piety  toward  the  Supreme  Being 
enabled  her  to  discern  a  ray  of  hope,  amid  the  darlmess  of  an  horizon 
clouded  by  despair. 

After  a  long  life  abounding  in  vicissitudes,  having  a  full  measure 
of  sorrows  but  with  many  and  high  enjoyments,  the  venerable 
Martha  Washington  descended  to  the  grave,  cheered  by  the 
prospect  of  a  blessed  immortality,  and  mourned  by  the  millions  of  a 
mighty  empire. 

10 


I^nLcd  bv  liani:n-. 


CHARLICS     CARROIX    OF   CARROII.TON. 


-^0~^^^.,^^^b^  O'l^^'^^ 


JAMES    ITKKRINO    N>,'W  YORK.  ENTKKKD     ACCOUDING    TO    THK    ACT    OF    CONGRhlSS 


CHARLES     CARROLL 

OF    CARROLLTON. 


It  has  been  asserted  that  the  American  colonies,  now  the  United 
States,  began  seriously  to  entertain  the  design  of  throwing  off  their 
allegiance  to  the  British  Idng,  soon  after  the  conquest  of  Canada  by 
the  arms  of  the  British  and  provincial  forces.  There  is,  however, 
no  evidence  to  sustain  that  assertion ;  and  the  probability  is,  that  the 
colonies,  although  they  each  had  cause  for  discontent,  had  never 
been  united  in  their  complaints  until  the  British  parliament  united 
them  by  a  series  of  general  grievances.  The  charters  granted  to  the 
various  colonies  had  been  uniformly  violated  so  soon  as  they  began 
to  thrive ;  and  they,  in  their  weakness  and  sincere  attachment  to  ''  the 
mother  country,"  had  patiently  submitted.  Yet  it  is  evident  that  they 
retained,  from  generation  to  generation,  a  lively  sense  of  their  natural 
and  chartered  rights.  The  descendants  of  those  who  had  braved  the 
dangers  and  hardships  of  the  wilderness  for  the  sake  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  inherited  the  spirit  of  their  fathers;  —  what  the 
fathers  had  gained  by  patient  toil,  unbending  fortitude,  or  by  charter 
from  the  king,  their  children  claimed  as  their  birthright. 

In  1764,  parliament,  for  the  first  time,  attempted  to  raise  a  revenue 
in  the  colonies  without  their  consent.  This  led  to  a  discussion  of  the 
right  in  the  provincial  assemblies  and  among  the  people,  and  the 
general  sentiment  appears  to  have  been,  that  "taxation  and  repre- 
sentation were  inseparable."  In  1765  the  famous  Stamp  Act  was 
passed ;  and  the  policy  of  the  British  government  being  unveiled,  an 
universal  expression  of  indignation  and  opposition  was  echoed 
through  the  colonies.  In  addition  to  these  general  causes  for 
complaint,  each  colony  remembered  its  own  individual  grievances. 
It  is  only  our  purpose,  on  this  occasion,  to  trace  the  causes  of 
discontent  in  Maryland ;  and  to  show,  that  when  her  sons  embarked 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

their  "  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their  sacred  honor,"  in  their  country's 
cause,  they  had  reason  and  justice  on  their  side. 

The  charter  of  Maryland  was  obtained  by  Lord  Baltimore,  from 
Charles  I.,  in  June,  1632.  By  the  charter  it  was  declared,  that  the 
grantee  was  actuated  by  a  laudable  zeal  for  extending  the  Christian 
religion  and  the  territories  of  the  empire.  Lord  Baltimore  was  a 
Roman  Catholic  ;  and  his  avowed  intention  was,  to  erect  an  asylum 
in  America  for  the  Catholic  faith.  In  honor  of  the  queen  the 
province  was  named,  and  its  endowment  was  accompanied  with 
immunities  more  ample  than  any  other  of  the  colonies.  Lord 
Baltimore  was  created  the  absolute  proprietary,  saving  the  allegiance 
due  to  the  crown  —  license  was  given  to  all  British  subjects  to 
transport  themselves  thither,  and  they  and  their  posterity  were 
declared  entitled  to  the  liberties  of  Englishmen,  as  if  they  had  been 
born  within  the  kingdom ;  with  powers  to  make  laws  for  the  province, 
"not  repugnant  to  the  jurisprudence  of  England," — power  was  given 
to  the  proprietary,  with  assent  of  the  people,  to  impose  all  just  and 
proper  subsidies,  which  were  granted  to  him  for  ever ;  and  it  was 
covenanted  on  the  part  of  the  king,  that  neither  he  nor  his  successors 
should  at  any  time  impose,  or  cause  to  be  imposed,  any  tollages  on 
the  colonists,  or  their  goods  and  tenements,  or  on  their  commodities, 
to  be  laden  within  the  province.  The  proprietary  was  also 
authorized  to  appoint  officers,  repel  invasions,  and  suppress  rebellions. 
The  charter  contained  no  special  reservative  of  royal  prerogative  to 
interfere  in  the  government  of  the  province.  Thus  was  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  popular  government  not  likely  to  be  willingly 
renounced  when  once  possessed. 

No  efforts  were  spared  by  Lord  Baltimore  to  facilitate  the 
population  and  happiness  of  the  colony;  and  in  five  years  it  had 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  a  code  of  laws  became  necessary. 
Lord  Baltimore  composed  and  submitted  a  body  of  laws  to  the 
colonists  for  their  assent,  but  they  not  approving  of  them,  prepared  a 
code  for  themselves.  At  a  very  early  period  the  proprietary  had 
declared  in  favor  of  religious  toleration ;  in  1649  the  assembly 
adopted  that  principle  by  declaring,  "  that  no  persons  professing  to 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ  should  be  molested  in  respect  to  their 
religion,  or  in  the  free  exercise  thereof;"  thus  meriting  the 
distinguished  praise  of  being  the  first  of  the  American  States  in  which 
religious  toleration  was  established  by  law.  In  1654  Cromwell  sent 
commissioners  to  reduce  the  colony  to  his  subjection,  who,  although 
they  met  with  no  opposition  in  Maryland,  abolished  its  institutions 


CHARLES  CARROLL  OF  CARROLLTON. 

and  introduced  religious  discord.  They  inflamed  the  Protestants 
against  the  Cathohcs,  until,  exasperated  to  extremity,  the  parties  met 
in  an  engagement,  when  the  partizans  of  the  proprietary  government 
were  defeated,  the  governor  deposed,  and  a  new  assembly  formed,  by 
which  a  law  was  passed  depriving  the  Catholics  of  the  protection  of 
law  in  the  community.  With  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  in  1661, 
tranquillity  was  restored  to  the  province ;  but  in  a  few  years  that 
tranquillity  was  again  disturbed  by  a  series  of  petty  vexations, 
originating  in  the  strife  and  jealousy  of  the  ruling  party  in  Britain, 
on  account  of  religion.  The  king's  ministers  commanded  that  all 
the  offices  of  the  provincial  government  should  in  future  be  committed 
exclusively  to  Protestants,  and  not  only  in  this  was  the  charter 
violated,  but  also  by  the  appointment  of  revenue  officers  and  the 
exacting  of  imposts.  In  1686  James  II.  determined  to  overthrow 
the  proprietary  governments  of  the  colonies,  but  the  more  important 
afiairs  in  which  he  was  engaged  at  home,  during  his  short  reign, 
prevented  the  consummation  of  his  threat.*  On  the  accession  of 
William  III.  a  Protestant  association  was  formed,  which,  under  the 
authority  and  approbation  of  the  king,  usurped  the  direction  of  the 
affairs  of  the  province,  keeping  up  the  farce  of  a  Papist  plot  as  an 
excuse  for  their  conduct.  Lord  Baltimore  was  deprived,  by  an  act  of 
the  privy  council,  of  the  political  administration,  although  they 
could  find  no  fault  in  him,  except  that  he  was  of  the  Catholic  faith. 
With  the  proprietary's  government  the  liberal  principles  of  his 
administration  were  subverted.  The  Church  of  England  was 
established,  and  a  tax  levied  to  support  it. 

Sanctioned  by  the  authority  and  instructed  by  the  example  of  the 
British  government,  the  newly  modelled  legislature  of  Maryland 
proceeded  to  enact  a  series  of  laws  which  completely  disfranchised 
the  Catholics,  by  depriving  them  of  all  political  and  religious 
privileges,  and  of  the  ordinary  means  of  education.  By  an  act, 
passed  in  1704  and  renewed  in  1715,  it  was  ordained  that  the 
celebration  of  Mass,  or  the  education  of  youth  by  a  Papist,  should  be 
punished  by  transportation  to  England.  These  acts  were  afterwards 
modified ;  but  the  evils  inflicted  on  the  colony  by  the  violations  of 
the  charter,  were  not  removed  until  the  connection  with  Great  Britain 
was  dissolved  by  the  Revolution.  In  1702,  in  the  midst  of  this  state 
of  affairs,  Charles   Carroll,  the  father  of  Charles   Carroll   of 


*  About  this  time  Charles  Carrroll  (the  son  of  Daniel  Carroll,  of  Kings  county,  Ireland,  and 
grandfather  of  Charles  Carroll  or  Carrollton,)  came  into  the  colony. 

3 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Carrollton,  was  born.  We  may  readily  suppose  with  what  attach- 
ment to  the  royal  cause  he  arrived  at  manhood.  We  are  informed 
that  "he  took  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  provincial  government; 
and  in  the  religious  disputes  of  the  times  stood  prominent  as  one  of 
the  leading  and  most  influential  members  of  the  Catholic  party."  On 
the  eighth  of  September,  1737,  O.  S.,  his  son,  Charles  Carroll, 
surnamed  of  Carrollton,  was  born  at  Annapolis ;  and  at  eight  years 
old  was  taken  to  France  to  be  educated.  He  remained  there  until 
1757,  when  he  visited  London  and  commenced  the  study  of  law.  In 
1 764,  he  returned  to  Maiyland  a  finished  scholar  and  an  accomplished 
gentleman.  About  this  period  the  respective  rights  of  the  colonies 
and  of  the  king's  government  began  to  be  discussed ;  religious 
disputes  subsided  and  were  forgotten,  in  the  new  and  interesting 
topics  of  the  time.  The  celebrated  Stamp  Act,  in  1765,  produced  an 
universal  excitement,  and  elicited,  from  men  of  the  highest  character 
and  talents  in  the  country,  the  most  energetic  and  decisive  expressions 
of  opinion.  Among  those  who  came  boldly  forward  in  vindication 
of  the  colonists  was  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton. 

The  Stamp  Act  was  repealed  and  the  excitement  ceased ;  but  in 
the  colonies  the  principle  of  parliamentary  taxation  was  a  settled 
question. 

In  June,  1768,  Mr.  Carroll  married. 

In  1771-2,  Mr.  Carroll's  talents  as  an  advocate  of  popular  rights, 
were  again  brought  into  requisition.  The  house  of  delegates,  after 
an  investigation,  framed  and  passed  a  law  regulating  the  fees  of  the 
civil  officers  of  the  colonial  government,  but  the  upper  house  refused 
to  concur  in  it.  After  the  adjournment  of  the  assembly,  the  governor 
issued  a  proclamation  commanding  and  enjoining  all  officers  not  to 
take  other  or  greater  fees  than  those  therein  mentioned.  The  people 
viewed  this  measure  as  an  attempt  to  fix  a  tax  upon  them  by 
proclamation,  and  in  that  light  considered  it  as  an  unjust  and 
arbitrary  exercise  of  official  authority.  A  newspaper  contest  ensued 
between  numerous  advocates  of  the  people  and  of  the  governor.  At 
length  the  parties  stood  in  silence  watching  the  progress  of  a  single 
combat  between  the  champion  of  the  people,  Mr.  Carroll,  and  his 
antagonist,  the  provincial  s^retary.  In  this  controversy,  Mr. 
Carroll's  talents  and  principles  were  brought  fully  before  the 
pubhc,  and  received  the  applause  of  the  prominent  men  of  the 
day.  His  antagonist  was  silenced,  and  the  governor's  proclamation 
suspended  on  a  gallows  and  burnt  by  the  common  hangman.  The 
above  controversy  was  conducted  by  the  parties  under  fictitious 


CHARLES  CARROLL  OF  CARROLLTON. 

signatures,  and  before  it  was  known  who  had  been  the  writer  to 
whom  the  laurel  was  awarded,  the  citizens  of  Annapolis  instructed 
their  representatives  to  address  a  letter  of  thanks,  through  the 
newspaper,  to  the  "distinguished  advocate  of  the  rights  of  his 
country ;"  but  when  it  was  generally  Imown  that  "  the  distinguished 
advocate,"  was  Charles  Carroll,  "  the  people  of  Annapolis,  not 
satisfied  with  the  letter  of  the  delegates,  came  in  a  body  to  thank  him 
for  his  exertions  in  defence  of  their  rights."  Mr.  Carroll  had 
evidently  made  up  his  mind  to  abide  the  issue  of  the  contest,  which  he 
foresaw  had  only  been  commenced  with  the  pen  to  be  terminated  witli 
the  bayonet ;  and  he  took  repeated  occasions  so  to  express  his  con- 
victions to  friends  and  foes.  As  the  great  drama  of  the  Revolution 
advanced,  Mr.  Carroll's  popularity  evidently  became  more  exten- 
sive, and  his  advice  and  influence  more  frequently  sought.  After  the 
delegates  in  1774  had  prohibited  the  importation  of  tea,  a  brig  arrived 
at  Annapolis  with  a  quantity  on  board ;  it  was  court  time,  and  a  great 
number  of  people  were  assembled  from  the  neighboring  counties,  and 
so  irritated  were  they,  that  personal  violence  was  threatened  to  the 
captain  and  consignees  of  the  vessel  and  destruction  to  the  cargo. 
Application  was  made  to  Mr.  Carroll  for  advice  and  protection,  by 
the  owner  of  the  vessel.  He  advised  him  to  burn  the  vessel  and 
the  tea  it  contained  to  the  water's  edge,  as  the  most  effectual  means  of 
allaying  the  popular  excitement.  His  counsel  was  followed,  the 
sails  were  set,  the  colors  displayed,  and  the  brig  burnt  amidst  the 
acclamations  of  the  multitude. 

In  February,  1776,  Mr.  Carroll,  then  a  member  of  the  Maryland 
convention,  was  appointed  by  the  continental  congress  on  a  com- 
mission to  visit  Canada,  in  conjunction  with  Dr.  Franklin,  Samuel 
Chase,  and  the  Rev.  John  Carroll,  the  object  of  which  was  to  induce 
the  Canadians  to  unite  their  efforts  with  the  United  Provinces  in  the 
struggle  for  liberty;  but  the  defeat  of  Montgomery's  army,  the 
contributions  levied  on  the  inhabitants,  and  the  invincible  opposition 
of  the  priests,  rendered  their  mission  abortive.  Mr.  Carroll 
returned  to  Philadelphia  just  as  the  subject  of  independence  was 
under  discussion ;  he  was  decidedly  in  favor  of  it,  but  was  not  a 
member  of  congress ;  and  the  delegates  from  Maryland  had  been 
instructed  to  refuse  their  assent  to  it.  He  proceeded  to  Annapolis 
with  all  speed,  and  in  his  place  in  the  convention  advocated  the  cause 
of  independence  with  such  effect,  that  on  the  2Sth  of  June  new 
instructions  were  given  in  the  place  of  the  old  ones,  and  on  the  4th 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

of  July,  1776,  the  votes  of  the  Maryland  delegation  were  given  for 
independence. 

On  the  same  day,  Mr.  Carroll  was  appointed  a  delegate  to 
congress,  and  took  his  seat  as  a  member,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  18th. 
On  the  next  day  a  secret  resolution  was  adopted,  directing  the  Decla- 
ration to  be  engrossed  on  parchment,  and  signed  by  all  the  members, 
which  was  accordingly  done  on  the  2d  of  August.  As  Mr.  Carroll 
had  not  given  a  vote  on  the  adoption  of  that  instrument,  he  was  asked 
by  the  President  if  he  would  sign  it ;  "  most  willingly,"  he  replied, 
and  immediately  affixed  his  name  to  that  "  record  of  glory,"  which 
has  endeared  him  to  his  country,  and  rendered  his  name  immortal. 
By  those  who  have  the  curiosity  to  compare  that  signature  with  the 
autograph  accompanying  our  portrait,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the 
first  was  traced  by  a  firm  and  manly  hand,  the  latter  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  half  a  century,  and  at  an  age  when  "  the  keepers  of  the 
house  tremble."     Both  fac  similes  are  correct. 

Mr.  Carroll  assisted  in  the  formation  of  the  constitution  of 
Maryland  in  1776,  and  continued  in  congress  until  1778. 

He  served  in  the  senate  of  the  state  for  several  years,  was  a 
member  of  the  United  States  senate,  from  1788  to  1791,  from  whicli 
time  until  1801  he  was  an  active  member  of  the  senate  of  his  native 

state. 

For  the  next  thirty  years  he  dwelt  in  the  retirement  of  private  life, 
in  the  enjoyment  of  tranquillity,  health,  fortune,  and  the  richest 
reward  of  his  patriotic  labors ;  the  veneration  and  gratitude  of  his 
country.  After  the  death  of  Jefferson  and  Adams,  in  1826,  he  was 
the  sole  survivor  of  the  immortal  band  whose  talents  and  inflexible 
virtues,  in  the  midst  of  peril,  pledged  for  their  country  all  that  men 
esteem  of  value;  life,  fortune,  honor:  and  the  sole  inheritor  of  the  rich 
legacy  of  glory  which  they  had  left.  But,  on  the  14th  of  November, 
1 832,  the  mandate  which  all  must  obey,  summoned  to  the  tomb  the 
last  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  that  deed  of 
noble  daring  which  gave  his  country  "  a  place  among  nations,"  and 
opened  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed  of  all.  To  it  the  eyes  of  all 
nations  are  turned  for  instruction  and  example,  and  it  is  evident  that 
the  political  institutions  of  the  old  world  are  gradually  conforming  to 
its  model,  to  which  they  must  very  nearly  approach,  before  the  people, 
for  whose  happiness  governments  are  framed,  will  be  content. 


GEKERAIL  KATHAHEEJl.   G]R]EEKjB  = 


o^ 


Ift33  tyJaniBa Herring  -in-t.  ■    e  of 


NATHANAEL     GREENE. 


The  important  influence  of  the  example  of  the  American  Revokition 
on  the  rights  of  man  and  the  hberties  of  nations,  is,  as  yet,  but  par- 
tially estimated.  It  is  not,  however,  too  much  to  say,  that  the 
working  of  our  political  institutions,  after  the  trial  of  half  a  century ; 
the  happy  operation  of  religious  freedom ;  the  liberty  of  the  press  ; 
the  general  diffusion  of  education ;  the  skill  and  bravery  of  our 
chivalry  on  the  field,  and  on  the  ocean ;  but  above  all,  perhaps,  the 
prosperity  and  happiness  of  our  country,  are  now  winning  the  admi- 
ration of  the  world.  On  the  continent  of  Europe  we  have  always 
been  regarded  with  respect ;  but  the  unhappy  consequences  of  the 
French  revolution  have  retarded  the  onward  march  of  liberty,  which 
must  eventually  triumph.  Time,  and  that  not  far  distant,  will  there 
unfold  a  series  of  revolutions,  "  a  war  of  opinions,"  based  on  that 
which  was  fought  and  won  for  us  at  Bunker  Hill,  Yorktown,  and 
the  Eutaw  Springs.  A  love  of  liberty  is  implanted  in  the  bosom  of 
man,  and  it  will  be  seen,  that,  with  feeble  means,  the  will  to  attain  it 
will  prevail.  For  us  it  has  been  attained ;  and  we  shall  now  address 
ourselves  to  the  task  of  sketching  out  the  character  and  services  of 
one  of  those,  by  whom  the  glorious  work  was  accomplished.  In 
the  midst  of  prosperity,  nations,  like  individuals,  are  apt  to  forget 
their  benefactors ;  and  republics  have  been  proverbially  ungrateful. 
It  is  incumbent  on  us  to  remove  the  stain. 

Nathanael  Greene,  the  fourth  in  descent  from  one  of  the  early 
English  settlers  of  New  England,  was  born  on  the  27th  of  May,  1 742, 
in  Warwick,  Rhode  Island.  His  family  were  very  respectable 
members  of  the  society  of  Friends,  among  whom  his  father  was  a 
preacher.  In  the  peaceful  principles  of  that  sect,  Nathanael  was 
instructed.  His  early  years  were  passed  in  the  attainment  of  the 
mere  rudiments  of  an  English  education,  and  succeeded  by  variations 
of  labor  in  the  field,  the  mill,  or  at  the  anvil,  as  his  age  and  strength 
increased.  In  his  youth,  he  excelled  most  of  his  companions  in 
strength  and  agility ;  and  it  is  evident  from  what  has  been  written 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

of  him,  that  he  enioyed,  with  great  dehght,  the  amusemenls  and 
pleasures  of  his  companions.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  became 
acquainted  with  a  lad  from  the  university  of  Rhode  Island,  who 
opened  to  his  view  new  objects  of  attention.  From  that  time,  books 
were  eagerly  sought  for,  and  their  contents  devoured  in  the  intervals 
of  his  work.  The  desire  to  obtain  books  stimulated  him  to  extra- 
ordinary exertions  at  the  forge,  where  the  work  Wcis  so  heavy,  as  to 
produce  a  permanent  lameness  in  one  of  his  feet ;  but  his  object  could 
be  accomplished  in  no  other  way.  Geography,  travels,  and  history, 
were  his  delight ;  he  made  himself  master  of  Euclid,  and  acquired  a 
knowleda:e  of  Latin.  When  about  seventeen,  he  attracted  the  notice 
of  President  Styles,  of  Yale  college,  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Newport, 
and  formed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  Lindley  Murray,  who 
was  also  there  on  a  visit.  From  those  gentlemen  he  derived  much 
valuable  information,  as  to  the  choice  of  books  and  a  proper  course 
of  study.  When  twenty  years  of  age,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
the  law ;  not  with  an  intention,  like  young  Murray,  of  making  it  a 
profession,  but  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  jurispru- 
dence. When  the  celebrated  stamp  act  began  to  agitate  the  country, 
the  ardent  mind  of  Greene  was  immediately  interested  in  the  subject ; 
and,  after  deliberate  reflection  on  the  principle  involved,  he  came  to 
the  firm  resolution  of  supporting  the  cause  of  his  country,  if  necessary, 
by  an  open  resistance. 

In  the  year  1770,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  of 
his  native  state,  to  which,  from  that  time,  until  he  was  called  to  the 
command  of  the  southern  army,  he  was  uniformly  reelected.  There, 
the  mass  of  information  which  he  had  accumulated  by  many  years 
of  study,  gave  him  an  influence,  and  he  became  a  leading  and  popular 
member.  When  the  states,  in  1773,  began  to  organize  their  militia, 
his  attention  was,  as  in  former  instances,  turned  to  the  subject,  and 
he  began  a  new  and  corresponding  course  of  studies.  Military  books 
now  engrossed  his  attention,  until  he  had  studied  the  histories  of  all 
the  ancient  and  modern  wars  witliin  his  reach.  For  this,  he  was 
dismissed  from  the  society  of  Friends ;  yet,  he  ever  after  regarded 
the  sect  with  deep  respect.  In  July,  1774,  he  married  Catharine 
Littlefield,  an  intelligent  and  engaging  lady ;  but  his  public  duties 
left  him  little  time  for  the  enjoyment  of  domestic  bliss.  He  had  now 
laid  aside  the  plain  dress  of  his  early  associates,  and  had  become  a 
member  of  the  "Kentish  Guards,"  a  military  company,  composed 
of  the  most  respectable  young  men  of  the  county.  In  the  ranks  of 
this  corps  he  continued,  until  after  the  battle  of  Lexington  ;  when  the 


NATHANAEL  GREENE. 

state  of  Rhode  Island  embodied  three  regiments  of  mihtia,  and  placed 
them  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  Nathanael 
Greene,  who  conducted  them  to  Cambridge.  Here  he  gained  the 
confidence  and  friendship  of  Washington,  which  he  retained  through 
life.  He  was  commissioned  as  a  brigadier  general  in  the  continental 
army  on  the  22d  June,  1775,  and,  as  a  major  general,  on  the  9th 
August,  1776.  He  accompanied  the  army  to  New  York,  and  had 
command  of  the  troops  on  Long  Island ;  but  when  the  disastrous 
battle  was  fought  at  Flatbush,  the  army  was  deprived  of  his  services, 
by  a  sickness,  which  reduced  him  nearly  to  the  grave.  When  the 
commander-in-chief  found  himself  obliged  to  retreat  across  New 
Jersey,  General  Greene  was  his  constant  and  firm  supporter.  At 
that  period  of  the  war,  a  train  of  misfortunes  had  spread  despondency 
and  gloom  over  the  country ;  yet  the  confidence  and  cheerfulness  of 
General  Greene  never  forsook  him,  and  the  spirits  of  the  troops  were 
cheered  by  his  example,  though  in  want  of  almost  every  necessary. 

On  the  night  of  the  25th  December,  1776,  General  Greene  crossed 
the  Delaware,  in  command  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army,  which,  in 
the  surprise  of  Trenton,  seized  the  artillery  of  the  enemy,  and  cut  off 
their  retreat  to  Princeton.  He  was  constantly  with  the  army,  during 
that  trying  winter,  and  shared  its  hardships  and  its  glories.  He  was 
present  at  the  battles  of  Brandy  wine,  in  August,  and  of  Germantown, 
in  October,  1777.  Such  was  the  distressed  situation  of  the  American 
army  through  the  winter  of  that  year,  that  Washington  was  doubtful 
of  his  ability  to  take  the  field  the  ensuing  season.  Every  exertion 
was  made  to  put  the  army  in  a  condition  for  the  campaign,  and 
General  Greene  was  pressed  to  accept  the  appointment  of  quarter- 
master-general. The  office  was  accepted  with  great  reluctance,  for 
his  inclination  was,  to  serve  in  the  line ;  and  the  charge  and  distri- 
bution of  the  public  money  was  of  all  things  disagreeable.  The 
necessities  of  the  army,  however,  and  the  strong  expression  of  Wash- 
ington, that  "  some  one  must  make  the  sacrifice,"  at  last  induced  him 
to  consent ;  but  not  until  the  condition  was  acceded,  that,  he  should 
not  lose  his  rigrht  to  command  in  action.  Of  this  he  availed  himself 
at  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  and  on  the  retreat  from  Rhode  Island. 

The  duties  of  his  new  station  were  arduous  and  embarrassing,  but 
were  rendered  more  so,  by  the  unhappy  factions  which  divided  the 
councils  of  the  country.  Notwithstanding  the  distress  and  poverty 
which  threatened  ruin  to  the  cause,  intrigue  and  slander  were  in 
active  operation,  to  undermine  the  reputation  and  character  of  the 
men,  who  were  devothig  themselves  to  accomplish  the  almost  hojieless 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

work.  Washington  himself  was  assailed ;  and  Greene,  who  was 
supposed  to  have  been  his  favorite  officer  and  confidential  adviser, 
was  made  an  object  of  suspicion.  It  appears  strange  to  us,  at  this 
time,  that  calumny  could  have  had  the  effect  of  injuring  the  reputa- 
tion of  such  a  man,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed. 
Constantly  with  the  army,  and  under  the  eye  of  the  commander-in- 
chief;  often  without  a  dollar  at  command,  and  made  desperate  by 
witnessing  the  distresses  of  the  brave  men  who  had  been  his  compa- 
nions in  arms  through  years  of  toil  and  suffering.  "  Hard  is  the  lot 
of  a  man  in  public  life,  where  the  expenditure  of  money  constitutes  a 
part  of  his  duty."'  The  purity  and  integrity  of  General  Greene's 
character  bore  him  above  the  storm,  congress  did  him  justice,  and 
his  personal  friends  never  faltered  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty 
towards  him.  In  August,  1780,  he  resigned  the  office,  a  poorer  man 
than  when  he  entered  upon  it. 

After  the  fall  of  Charleston  and  the  captivity  of  General  Lincoln, 
the  war  in  that  quarter  required  the  presence  of  a  commander,  on 
whose  talents  the  army  and  the  inhabitants  might  rely.     The  high 
reputation  which  General  Gates  had  acquired  by  the  capture  of 
Burgoyne's  army,  obtained  for  him  the  command  of  the  southern 
department.     His  arrival  in  North  Carolina  revived  the  hopes  of  the 
patriots,  and  he  very  soon  collected  an  army  of  about  four  thousand 
men.     He  at  once  prepared  to  drive  the  British  force  from  their  line 
of  posts  across  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  and  to  carry  the  war  to 
the  gates  of  Charleston.     But  near  Camden  he  was  met  by  an  army 
under  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  suffered  an  overwhelming  defeat.     The 
consequences  were  awful.     Lord  Cornwallis  considered  himself  a 
conqueror  in  full  possession,  and  adopted  a  course  of  proscriptive 
measures,  which  finally  recoiled  upon  himself.     He  hung  several 
respectable  men  at  Camden,  and  he  seized  a  number  of  the  most 
influential  and  patriotic  of  the  prisoners  on  parole,  whom  he  trans- 
ported to  St.  Augustine  :  he  then  prepared  to  overrun  that  part  of 
Carolina  which  had  not  been  devastated;   and  his  progress  was 
marked  by  rapine,   conflagrations,   and  blood.      The   lion-hearted 
patriots  of  Carolina  were  again  roused  to  the  defence  of  their  lives, 
their  families,  and  their  homes.     From  that  time,  there  was  no 
neutrality ;  and  the  horrors  of  a  regular  warfare  were  heightened,  by 
all  the  ruthless    accompaniments  of   party  fury,   malignity,   and 
revenge.     General  Greene  was  appointed  to  supersede  Gates,  on 
the  14th  of  October,  1780 ;  and  four  days  after,  he  sat  out  from  West 
Point  for  his  command. 


NATHANAEL  GREENE. 

On  arriving  at  Charlotte,  on  the  second  of  December,  he  found 
the  southern  army  a  mere  skeleton,  without  artillery,  baggage,  or 
stores.  In  a  letter  to  La  Fayette,  he  says,  "  Were  you  to  arrive,  you 
would  find  a  few  ragged,  half  starved  troops  in  the  wilderness,  desti- 
tute of  every  thing  necessary  for  the  comfort  or  convenience  of 
soldiers."  In  his  front  was  an  enemy,  flushed  with  victory  and  well 
provided ;  around  him,  an  exhausted  country ;  and  the  inhabitants 
divided  into  hostile  parties,  "  plundering  each  other  with  little  less 
than  savage  fury."  Money,  he  had  none ;  for  he  had  been  furnished 
with  only  sufficient  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  journey.  But  he 
had  around  him  a  number  of  active,  spirited,  and  devoted  officers,  on 
whose  exertions  he  could  depend,  and  the  promise  of  reinforcements 
from  the  states  through  which  he  had  passed  on  his  route. 

Cautiously  he  adapted  his  operations  to  his  means.  The  prudent 
policy  of  Washington,  and  the  precipitate  imprudence  of  Gates,  were 
both  before  him.  His  first  care  was  to  remove  to  a  place,  where 
subsistence  and  the  means  of  transportation  could  be  obtained. 
Cornwallis  was  at  Winnsborough,  and  Leslie  was  advancing  with  a 
powerful  reinforcement  towards  Camden.  The  only  mode  of  car- 
rying on  the  war  was,  to  cut  up  these  forces  in  detail,  by  sudden 
assaults  on  their  detachments ;  by  enticing  them  into  the  interior ; 
and  by  striking  at  the  posts,  and  keeping  up  an  alarm  on  every  side, 
until  the  American  commander  should  find  himself  in  sufficient  force 
to  face  his  antagonist.  General  Greene,  with  the  main  body, 
marched  to  the  Cheraw  hills  on  the  Pee  Dee ;  and  detached  General 
Moro-an  to  the  west  of  the  Catawba,  to  act  on  the  left  of  Cornwallis, 
to  collect  provisions  and  forage,  and  annoy  the  enemy  as  circum- 
stances would  permit.  This  movement  alarmed  the  British  com- 
mander for  some  of  his  posts,  and  he  despatched  Colonel  Tarleton, 
with  a  force,  to  destroy  him,  which  was,  itself,  annihilated  at  the 
Cowpens.  Galled  at  this  unexpected  result,  Cornwallis  hastened  to 
cut  off"  Morgan's  retreat  with  his  prisoners,  and  to  prevent  him  uniting 
with  the  main  body.  Foiled  in  the  attempt,  he  vigorously  pursued 
Greene,  who  was  moving  in  a  direction  to  unite  with  Morgan. 

This  is  the  commencement  of  the  celebrated  retreat  from  South 
Carolina,  across  the  state  of  North  Carolina,  into  Virginia,  which  has 
won  for  the  American  commander  a  high  rank,  in  the  estimation  of 
military  men.  With  the  force  of  Morgan  united  to  his  own,  he  was 
unable  to  meet  the  foe.  Cornwallis  sought  to  force  him  to  an  action, 
and  he  was  as  resolutely  determined  to  avoid  one.  Having  taken 
the  precaution  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  Dan,  the  American  army 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

crossed  that  river  in  safety,  and  were  secure.  Here  General  Greene 
had  expected  to  find  reinforcements,  and  to  have  been  able  to  turn 
on  his  pursuers  ;  but  not  a  man  was  there. 

Cornwallis  saw  the  dangers  of  his  situation ;  so  sure  had  he  been 
of  crushing   the  Americans,  that  he  had  destroyed   his   baggage 
to  accelerate  his  movements ;  his  force  was  diminishing  by  death 
and  desertion,  while  that  of  his  wary  adversary  he  knew  must 
increase,  for  the  states  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia  were  collecting 
recruits,  and  the  cry   "to  arms"  was  universal.     He  accordingly 
retired  to  Hillsborough,  to  collect  the  royalists  in  that  vicinity,  by 
liberal  offers  of  gold  and  land;  in  this  he  succeeded  for  some  time, 
but  suddenly  they  began  to  diminish.     The  partisan  whigs  were 
hovering  around  in  force,  cutting  off  the  advancing  parties ;  and  the 
rapid  concentration  of  volunteers,  had  enabled  Greene  to  resume 
offensive  operations,  and  throw  himself  between  Cornwallis  and  the 
upper  country.     The  noble  earl  now  found  himself  surrounded  by 
timid  friends  and  inveterate  enemies ;  his  stores  decreasing,  and  the 
country  wasted  by  the  loyal  followers  of  his  army;   and  it  was 
evident,  that  whenever  his  adversary  pleased,  there  must  be  a  trial 
at  arms.     The  activity  and  vigilance  of  Greene's  light  troops  kept 
him  constantly  informed  of  every  movement  of  the  British  forces, 
and  enabled  him  to  rest  and  refresh  his  troops  against  the  day  of 
action,  which  he  determined  to  draw  on  whenever  his  reinforcements 
should  arrive,  being  confident,  that  if  he  could  not  ruin  his  adver- 
sary, he  could  at  least  cripple   him   severely.     According  to  this 
determination,  the  battle  of  Guilford  Court-house  was  fought  on  the 
15th  March,  1781.     The  result  of  that  engagement  was,  that  the 
British  remained  masters  of  the  field,  but  with  the  loss  of  six  hundred 
men.    Victory  at  such  a  price  was  defeat  to  CornwaUis,  who  retreated, 
and  left  his  wounded  to  the  benevolence  of  his  enemy.     In  a  few 
days.  General  Greene  found  himself  in  a  condition  to  pursue ;  he 
left  the  wounded  of  both  armies  behind,  in  the  care  of  a  congregation 
of  Friends,  and  followed  with  great  vigor,  until  finding  it  impossible 
to  overtake  the  foe,  he  halted  at  Ramsay's  Mill  to  refresh  his  troops, 
and    Cornwallis    pushed    forward    towards    Wilmington.      When 
Greene  was  satisfied  of  the  onward  course  of  the  British  army,  he 
took  the  resolution  to  march  directly  into  South  Carolina,  to  revive 
the  spirit  of  the  people,  to  destroy  the  line  of  posts  between  Charleston 
and  Camden,  to  live  on  the  spoils  of  the  enemy,  and,  if  possible, 
induce  Lord  Cornwallis  to  return  for  their  protection.     But  that  com- 
mander, after  a  fruitless  endeavor  to  divert  Greene's  attention,  took 


NATHANAEL   GREENE. 

a  contrary  course  to  Petersburg ;  Colonel  Lee,  with  his  legion,  and  a 
small  corps  of  infantry,  were  detached  to  form  a  junction  with  Marion, 
on  the  Santee ;  while  Greene,  with  the  main  body,  moved  off  to 
Camden,  and,  on  the  20th  of  April,  took  post  at  Hobkirk's  Hill,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  British  redoubts.  On  the  morning  of  the 
25th,  whilst  the  American  soldiers  were  preparing  their  breakfast. 
Lord  Rawdon  attempted  a  surprise,  by  passing  through  a  swamp  to 
the  left  of  the  encampment.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed.  The 
pickets  received  him  promptly,  and  retired  deliberately  and  in  good 
order,  disputing  the  ground  bravely.  In  the  mean  time,  the  American 
army  was  formed  in  order  of  battle,  and  every  disposition  was  made 
before  the  enemy  appeared.  The  battle  commenced  with  vigor,  and  a 
sanguinary  conflict  ensued.  But  the  Americans  were  obliged  to  aban- 
don the  field,  and  Rawdon  immediately  returned  to  Camden,  which  he 
soon  after  evacuated,  and  retired  to  Charleston.  Orangeburgh,  Fort 
Motte,  Granby,  and  several  other  posts,  were  captured  by  American 
detachments  ;  whilst  the  commander  carried  on  the  siege  of  Ninety- 
Six,  a  strongly  fortified  post.  But  before  it  could  be  reduced,  Rawdon 
had  received  reinforcements,  which  enabled  him  to  raise  the  siege, 
and  Greene  was  compelled  to  fall  back  on  North  Carolina,  with  the 
enemy  in  full  pursuit.  It  was  discouraging  to  be  thus  made  the 
sport  of  fortune,  but  the  firmness  and  decision  of  the  o-eneral's  cha- 
racter  sustained  him  through  the  trial ;  for  being  at  this  time  advised 
to  abandon  South  Carolina,  he  replied,  "  I  will  recover  the  country, 
or  perish  in  the  attempt."  Lord  Rawdon  soon  perceived  that  pursuit 
was  vain ;  that  wdiile  he  was  removing  from  all  support,  Greene 
was  falling  back  on  his  magazines  and  reinforcements,  and  leading 
him  towards  the  very  route,  over  which  he  had  before  led  Cornwall  is  ; 
and,  being  already  short  of  provisions,  he  returned  to  Ninety-Six,  and 
from  thence  to  Charleston,  taking  with  him  all  the  loyalist  families  in 
that  district  of  country.  General  Greene  then  retired  to  the  high 
hills  of  Santee,  to  indulge  his  army  in  a  short  repose  during  the  heat 
of  the  summer. 

Near  the  end  of  August,  he  again  sought  the  enemy,  and  met  him 
in  battle,  at  the  Eutaw  Springs,  on  the  8th  of  September.  This  battle 
was  described  by  the  American  commander,  as  the  most  obstinate  and 
bloody  he  had  ever  seen.  The  militia,  with  a  firmness  "which 
would  have  graced  the  veterans  of  the  great  king  of  Prussia,"  advanced 
with  shouts  into  the  hottest  of  the  enemy's  fire ;  but  one  part  of  the 
line  faltering  for  a  moment,  the  British,  elated  at  the  prospect,  sprang 
forward  to  improve  that  moment,  but  at  the  same  time  deranged 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

their  own  line.     General  Greene,  who  was  watching  for  such  an 
incident,  "  ordered  the  second  line  to  advance,  and  sweep  the  field 
with  their  bayonets."     The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the 
enemy  were  driven  from  the  ground,  through  their  camp  in  the  rear. 
But  their  pursuers  were  diverted  by  the  spoils  of  the  tents,  and  became 
irretrievably  confused ;   in  the  mean  time,  the  enemy  rallied,  and 
under  cover  of  the  fire  from  a  large  party  who  had  taken  possession 
of  a  brick  house,  recovered  their  camp.     Had  it  not  been  for  the 
temptation,  so  unexpectedly  thrown  open,  the  British  forces  must 
have  surrendered ;  as  it  was,  their  power  in  South  Carolina  was 
prostrated,  for  in  this  action  they  lost  upwards  of  one  thousand  men. 
This  was  the  last  of  General  Greene's  battles.     The  enemy  aban- 
doned the  whole  of  South  Carolina,  except  Charleston  and  its  vicinity, 
and  the  American  army  retired  to  their  former  encampment,  until 
after  the  capture  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.     The  soldiers,  left  for 
a  time  to  repose,  the  mind  of  the  commander  was  meditating  on  the 
future.     He  had  been  induced  to  expect,  that  the  French  fleet,  with 
a  part  of  the  land  forces  on  board,  would  pass  from  the  Chesapeake 
to  Charleston,  to  cooperate  with  him  in  the  recovery  of  the  three 
most  southern  states.     Disappointed  in  that  aid,  he  still  was  bent 
on  the  expulsion  of  the  foe  from  North  Carolina  and  Georgia ;  if  not 
from  their  strong  hold  in  Charleston.     Although  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise was  high  in  the  American  army,  there  were  presented  few 
opportunities  for  adventure.     We  cannot  recount  the  minor  affairs, 
but  will  pass  to  events  of  another  character,  and  view  the  conduct  of 
General  Greene   under   other  circumstances.     It  was  discovered, 
that  a  part  of  his  army  had  entered  into  correspondence  with  the 
British,  and  had  agreed  to  deliver  him  up  ;  but  the  ringleader  was 
detected,  convicted,  and  shot,  and  twelve  of  his  associates  deserted. 
Had  their  plan   succeeded,   the  southern  army  would  have  been 
dissolved;    for  it  was  the   commander's  personal   influence  alone 
which  held  it  together :  he  was  the  idol  and  pride  of  his  soldiers ;  and 
it  is  to  their  honor,  that  amongst  the  conspirators,  not  one  native 
American  was  implicated.     Much  as  the  army  had  suffered,  their 
commander  had  felt  no  loss ;  and  the  only  instance  we  have  found 
in  all  his  correspondence  is  about  this  time,  when  he  had  to  witness 
the  sufferings  of  his  soldiers,  without  the  power  to  relieve  them. 
While  engaged  in  the  duties  of  the  field,  the  southern  army  had 
endured  privations  and  hardships  almost  beyond  belief;  but  we  have 
it  from  undoubted  authority,  that  a  large  proportion  of  that  army,  at 
times,  were  literally  "  as  naked  as  they  were  born"  ;  that  the  loins  of 


NATHANAEL  GREENE. 

many  of  the  brave  men  who  carried  death  into  the  enemy's  ranks  at 
the  Eutaw,  were  galled  by  their  cartouch  boxes ;  and  that  their 
shoulders  were  protected  from  chaffing,  only  by  a  piece  of  rag  or  a 
tuft  of  moss.  Can  we  be  surprised  then,  that,  when  left  to  repose,  they 
should  think  over  their  sufferings,  and  expect,  at  least,  to  be  noticed 
by  the  country  they  had  saved  7  Yet,  so  it  was,  they  for  a  time 
appeared  to  be  forgotten,  and  they  murmured ;  and  the  mind  of  the 
commander  was  burdened  by  the  most  painful  anxieties.  Symptoms 
of  mutiny  made  their  appearance  in  the  Maryland  line,  but  they 
were  preceded  by  a  pathetic  address  to  their  general.  They  asked  his 
attention  to  their  thinned  ranks,  reduced  from  a  brigade  to  the  number 
of  two  hundred ;  but  he  had  not  the  means  to  relieve  them.  His 
army  at  this  time  had  received  no  pay  in  two  years ;  was  nearly 
naked  ;  often  short  of  meat  and  bread  ;  and  the  sick  and  wounded 
■perishing  for  want  of  medicines  and  proper  food. 

When  discontent  existed  among  the  officers  of  the  legion,  on  the 
appointment  of  Colonel  Laurens,  and  they  all  tendered  their  resigna- 
tions, complaining  of  partiality  and  injustice,  he  reminded  them  of 
their  right  to  appeal  to  congress,  but  their  reply  was  petulant  and 
haughty  ;  and  the  general,  after  giving  them  a  private  hint  of  his 
intention,  accepted  their  commissions.  This  was  unexpected  ;  they 
found  that  their  attachment  to  him  was  such,  that  they  could  not 
leave  him  in  the  face  of  the  enemy ;  and  they  availed  themselves  of 
his  suggestion,  to  refer  their  complaint  to  congress,  and  returned 
quietly  to  their  posts.  Thus  the  general  had  not  only  conquered 
the  enemy,  but  had  overcome  the  demon  of  discord  in  his  own  army. 

Except  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  provisions  from  the  sur- 
rounding country,  the  enemy  lay  inactive  in  Charleston.  With  all 
their  force,  they  had  been  unable  to  keep  possession  of  the  country ; 
and  with  their  diminished  means  it  would  have  been  folly  to  renew 
the  strife.  They  therefore  prepared  to  evacuate  the  city,  having  agreed 
with  the  American  commander  to  leave  it  uninjured,  and  to  be  per- 
mitted to  depart  unmolested.  Accordingly,  on  the  14th  December, 
1782,  the  American  army  entered  the  city  as  the  British  rear  departed 
from  it.  To  the  citizens  of  Charleston,  it  was  a  day  of  joy  and  con- 
gratulation. Upwards  of  two  years,  they  had  been  under  the  arbitrary 
restrictions  of  an  enemy's  garrison ;  cut  off  from  all  intercourse  with 
their  friends,  and  ignorant  of  their  fate ;  now  they  beheld  them 
returning,  the  liberators  of  their  country.  Solemn  thanks  were 
offered  to  the  Almighty  in  places  of  public  worship,  and  the 
whole  city  presented  a  scene  of  festivity.     The  object  of  regard  to 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

every  eye,  and  of  praise  from  every  tongue,  from  the  governor  of  the 
state  to  the  humblest  citizen,  Greene  alone  appeared  to  be  uncon- 
scious of  having  himself  merited  distinction,  while  he  deeply  felt 
the  attentions,  which  were  liberally  bestowed  on  his  gallant  army. 

The  difficulty  of  supplying  rations  for  the  army  after  this  period, 
for  a  time,  threatened  serious  consequences,  but  by  the  commander 
becoming  responsible  himself,  as  an  endorser  for  the  contractor,  the 
evil  was  removed ;  but  the  transaction  was  the  cause  of  much  subse- 
quent embarrassment  to  himself,  and  to  his  family  after  his  decease. 

Peace  was  at  length  restored, — the  army  was  disbanded,  and 
General  Greene  returned  to  his  native  state. 

In  every  place,  through  which  he  passed  on  his  journey  home,  he 
was  received  with  enthusiasm  and  expressions  of  gratitude  and  admi- 
ration. On  his  arrival  at  Princeton,  where  the  congress  was  then  in 
session,  that  body  resolved  to  present  him  with  two  pieces  of  ord- 
nance, taken  from  the  British  army,  "  as  a  public  testimony  of  the 
wisdom,  fortitude,  and  military  skill,  which  distinguished  his  com- 
mand in  the  southern  department."  They  had  previously  voted  him 
a  British  standard  and  a  gold  medal,  commemorative  of  the  battle  of 
Eutaw.  The  state  of  Georgia  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  and 
highly  improved  plantation,  a  few  miles  from  Savannah  ;  and  South 
Carolina  conveyed  to  him  a  valuable  body  of  land.  This  he  was 
obliged  to  part  with,  to  free  himself  from  the  pecuniary  obligations 
before  referred  to  ;  and  to  the  former  he  removed  with  his  family  in 
the  fall  of  1785,  when  he  commenced  the  cultivation  of  his  land,  and 
the  education  of  his  children.  But  this  period  of  repose  and  domestic 
pleasure  was  brief;  for  being  attacked  by  inflammation  of  the  brain 
on  the  12th,  his  mortal  career  was  closed  on  the  19th  of  June,  1786. 

Thus  have  we  sketched  the  life  of  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
men  of  the  American  revolution  ;  and  whether  we  view  it,  as  illus- 
trative of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  the  native  energy  of  genius, 
or  as  an  example  of  deep,  pure,  devoted,  patriotism,  it  is  equally 
entitled  to  our  regard.  Through  it,  we  can  trace  the  same  invincible 
spirit,  in  the  humble,  industrious,  youthful  Quaker,  as  in  the  heroic 
firmness  of  the  illustrious  warrior.  In  the  former,  it  was  incited  by  a 
thirst  for  knowledge,  which  never  abated ;  and  in  the  latter,  by  a 
determination  to  deliver  his  country  when  overrun  by  hostile  armies. 
The  influence  of  his  early  moral  discipline  should  not  be  overlooked, 
for  it  gave  a  peculiar  hue  of  modesty  and  virtue,  patience  and  bene- 
volence, to  his  subsequent  actions  ;  which,  like  the  pearly  tints  of  a 
picture,  at  once  harmonize  and  beautify  the  whole. 


U^wii  l.v  Jis.H'-ini 


HKH>«     GjKIVJ".-     AlX'I'tKilYr    WA'rWK. 


ANTHONY  WAYNE. 


If  decision,  promptness,  and  energy  of  character,  combined  with  a 
sound  judgment,  correct  principles,  an  ardent  patriotism,  and  faithful 
service,  merit  distinction  and  a  grateful  record,  no  one  is  more  entitled 
to  them  than  the  gallant  Wayne. 

There  is,  indeed,  something  in  the  name  of  Wayne,  which 
immediately  presents  to  the  mind  of  every  American,  well  read 
in  the  history  of  his  country,  the  image  of  a  bold,  enterprising, 
and  active  officer,  of  a  ready  will  and  prompt  execution  ;  always 
ready  to  attack  liis  enemy  sword  in  hand,  but  impatient  of  restraint. 
This  is  the  trait  of  his  character,  which  particularly  distinguishes  him 
from  those  with  whom  he  acted  in  the  revolution,  but,  which  peculiarly 
fitted  him  for  the  services  on  which  his  military  reputation  is  esta- 
blished. It  has  been  said  of  him,  by  one  who  knew  him  well,  that 
he  had  "  a  constitutional  attachment  to  the  decision  of  the  sword," 
and  that  "  the  general  and  his  soldiers  were  singularly  fitted  for  close 
and  stubborn  action,  hand  to  hand,  in  the  centre  of  the  army."  This 
may  be  accounted  for  on  very  probable  grounds  :  his  grandfather  had 
been  a  commander  of  dragoons  at  the  battle  of  the  Boyne,  and  his 
father  had  distinguished  himself  in  frequent  conflicts  with  the  Indians; 
young  Wayne  had  consequently 

"heard  of  battles,  and  he  long'd 

To  follow  to  the  field  some  warlike  chief." 

Even  at  school,  his  studies  were  neglected  for  military  amusements, 
and  it  was  only  by  the  dread  of  being  compelled  to  labor  on  his 
father's  farm,  that  his  attention  was  diverted  to  his  proper  duties. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  first  of  January,  1745.  Notwithstanding  his  distaste  for  his 
early  studies,  he  left  the  Philadelphia  academy,  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
a  good  mathematician,  and  commenced  the  business  of  a  surveyor, 
which  he  pursued  with  success  for  some  years,  during  which  time, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  engineering  and  astronomy,  and  has  left 
some  valuable  manuscripts  on  those  subjects.     He  took  a  deep  interest 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

in  the  controversy  with  Great  Britain,  and  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  measures,  which  were  adopted  preparatory  to  the  great  struggle, 
in  which  he  performed  so  conspicuous  a  part. 

In  1774,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  deputies  to  take  into  consi- 
deration the  state  of  affairs  between  Great  Britain  and  the  colonies  ; 
was  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  convention,  and  a  representative 
in  the  provincial  legislature.  The  prospect  of  approaching  war 
brought  him,  at  length,  into  possession  of  his  wishes — a  military 
command.  He  retired  from  civil  employment  in  the  fall  of  1775,  and 
raised  a  regiment  of  volunteers,  of  which  he  was  elected  colonel ;  he 
afterwards  received  the  appointment  of  colonel  from  the  continental 
congress,  and  at  the  head  of  a  regiment  of  Pennsylvanians,  marched 
to  Canada.  He  served  under  General  Thompson,  at  the  battle  of  the 
Three  Rivers,  where  he  was  wounded  ;  yet  he  distinguished  himself 
by  his  courage  and  skill  in  bringing  off  the  troops,  after  his  com- 
mander was  defeated  and  taken  prisoner.  He  was  promoted  by 
congress  to  the  rank  of  brigadier  general,  February  21,  1777,  being 
at  that  time  in  command  at  Ticonderoga.  In  May  following,  he 
joined  the  commander-in-chief,  in  New  Jersey. 

At  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine,  on  the  11th  of  September,  he  was 
opposed  to  Knyphausen,  and  steadily  maintained  the  contest,  until 
after  Cornwallis  had  turned  the  right  of  the  American  army.  On 
the  16th,  the  two  armies  again  met,  to  try  the  issue  of  another  battle, 
in  which,  Philadelphia  was  to  be  the  prize  of  the  victor.  Wayne, 
who  commanded  the  advance,  commenced  the  action  with  spirit ;  but 
a  violent  storm,  with  a  deluge  of  rain,  prevented  a  general  engagement, 
and  so  damaged  the  ammunition  of  the  Americans,  that  they  were 
obliged  to  retire  until  it  could  be  replenished,  and  the  British  army 
took  possession  of  Philadelphia  on  the  26th. 

In  the  mean  time,  Wayne  had  suffered  an  unfortunate  surprise. 
He  had  moved  into  the  rear  of  the  British  left  wing,  and  taken  a 
position  at  about  three  miles  distance,  near  the  Paoli  tavern,  intending 
to  fall  on  them  when  they  decamped.  The  usual  precautions  were 
taken ;  but  accurate  information  of  his  position  and  force  had  been 
conveyed  to  the  British,  and  they  effected  a  surprise  at  night,  which 
compelled  him  in  haste  to  retreat,  with  serious  loss.  The  affair  was 
made  the  subject  of  military  investigation,  and  he  was  acquitted  with 
honor,  "  as  having  done  every  thing  that  could  be  expected,  from  an 
active,  vigilant,  and  brave  officer,  under  the  orders  which  he  then 
had."  A  monument  has  been  erected  on  the  spot,  to  the  memory  of 
the  brave  men  who  fell  there. 


ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

At  Germantown,  he  signalized  himself  by  his  bravery  in  action, 
and  prudence  in  retreat ;  he  was  twice  slightly  wounded,  and  had 
his  horse  shot  under  him,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  enemy's  front. 

While  the  army  lay,  in  the  winter  of  1777-8,  at  Valley  Forge, 
Wayne  was  detached  into  New  Jersey,  with  a  body  of  troops,  to 
collect  cattle  and  destroy  the  forage,  which  would  be  likely  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  He  succeeded,  even  in  the  face  of  the 
foe,  in  sending  into  camp  several  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  a 
number  of  fine  horses,  and  forage.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this 
success,  that  Major  Andre  wrote  a  song,  to  the  tune  of  "Yankee 
Doodle,"  of  which  the  concluding  stanza  runs  thus  : 

"  But  now  I  end  my  lyric  strain — 
I  tremble  while  I  show  it ! 
Lest  this  same  warrio-drover,  Wayne, 
Should  ever  catch  the  poet." 

The  unfortunate  poet's  fate  has  changed  his  mock-heroic  to  a  tragic 
strain ;  for  when  taken,  he  was  delivered  to  Wayne,  at  Tappan. 

The  British  army  evacuated  Philadelphia,  in  June,  1778,  and 
pursued  the  direct  route  to  New  York ;  and  Washington's  force,  which 
was  about  equal  to  it,  immediately  was  put  in  motion,  and  crossed 
into  Jersey.  A  council  was  held,  to  deliberate  on  the  proper  course 
to  be  pursued.  Wayne  and  Cadwallader  were  for  battle  ;  but  all  the 
foreign  officers,  and  a  large  majority  of  the  whole  board,  were 
decidedly  against  it.  As  the  army  drew  near  the  enemy,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Monmouth,  Wayne  again  advocated  an  attack  ;  and  in 
the  battle  which  ensued,  he  added  to  his  reputation,  and  won  the 
commendation  of  the  commander-in-chief,  who  particularly  mentioned 
him  in  his  official  report. 

The  occasion  on  which  Wayne  next  distinguished  himself,  was 
the  attack  of  Stony  Point.  This  is  a  considerable  height,  situated 
on  the  Hudson,  the  greater  part  of  whose  base  is  washed  by  the  river, 
and  the  remainder  is  covered  by  a  morass,  through  which  there  is 
but  one  crossing-place.  On  the  summit  of  the  hill  was  a  fort,  mounted 
with  heavy  cannon ;  breast- works  were  advanced  in  front  of  the 
principal  work ;  half  way  down,  there  was  a  double  row  of  abattis  ; 
and  in  addition,  there  were  several  vessels  of  war  in  the  river,  whose 
guns  commanded  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

Stony  Point  had  been  taken,  not  long  before,  by  Sii*  Henry  Clinton, 
and  the  works  had  been  greatly  strengthened  by  his  orders.  General 
Washington  thought  its  recovery  of  great  moment,  and  planned  an 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

expedition  against  it,  the  command  of  which  he  entrusted  to  Wayne. 
On  the  15th  of  July,  1779,  the  troops  left  Sandy  Beach,  at  noon,  and 
arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort,  at  eight  o'clock,  in  the  evening. 
The  measures  of  the  Americans  had  been  so  well  taken,  that  every 
person  had  been  secured,  who  could  give  information  of  their  move- 
ments to  the  fort.  The  hour  of  midnight  was  fixed  on  for  the  assault. 
At  half  past  eleven,  the  Americans  advanced  in  two  columns,  with 
unloaded  muskets,  and  fixed  bayonets.  A  forlorn  hope,  of  twenty 
men,  preceded  each  of  them,  to  remove  the  abattis  and  other  obstruc- 
tions. The  marsh  was  reached  undiscovered,  and  twenty  minutes 
before  twelve,  the  troops  rushed  to  the  charge,  amid  a  tremendous 
fire  of  musketry  and  grape  shot,  and  overcoming  every  obstacle,  they 
took  possession  of  the  fort  without  firing  a  gun. 

Sixty-three  of  the  garrison  were  killed  in  the  assault,  and  five 
hundred  and  forty-three  made  prisoners.  In  the  attack,  Wayne 
was  wounded  by  a  musket  ball,  which  grazed  the  skull :  he  fell,  but 
instantly  rising  on  one  knee,  he  exclaimed,  "Forward,  my  brave 
fellows,  forward !"  But  supposing  himself  to  be  mortally  wounded, 
he  requested  his  aids  to  assist  him,  that  he  might  die  in  the  fort. 
For  this  exploit,  he  received  the  thanks  of  congress,  and  a  gold 
medal. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1781,  the  Pennsylvania  troops,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Morristown,  revolted,  and  determined  to  present  their 
grievances  to  congress  in  a  body.  They  paraded  under  arms  without 
officers,  supplied  themselves  with  ammunition  and  provisions,  seized 
six  pieces  of  artillery,  and  took  the  horses  from  the  generals'  stable. 
Wayne,  in  vain,  endeavored  to  bring  them  to  their  duty  by  expostu- 
lation :  he  cocked  his  pistol,  and  they  presented  their  bayonets  to  his 
breast,  saying,  "  we  respect  and  love  you  ;  you  have  often  led  us  into 
the  field  of  battle  ;  but  we  are  no  longer  under  your  command  ;  if 
you  fire  your  pistols,  or  attempt  to  enforce  your  commands,  we  shall 
instantly  put  you  to  death."  They  assured  him,  that  they  were  still 
attached  to  the  cause  they  had  embraced,  and  would  not  abandon  it ; 
and  that  if  the  enemy  should  dare  to  come  out  of  New  York,  they 
would,  under  his  orders,  face  them  in  the  field.  The  grievances  of 
these  men  were  of  a  serious  character ;  but  as  it  is  not  to  our  purpose 
to  detail  them,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  notice,  that  the  majority  of  the 
Pennsylvania  line  were  discharged  from  further  service. 

Wayne  was  then  sent  to  Virginia,  where  he  served  with  La 
Fayette  ;  and  was  present  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  and  contributed 
to  the  happy  termination  of  the  campaign.    He  was  then  despatched 


ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

into  Georgia,  to  protect  the  country  from  the  incursions  of  the  garrison 
of  Savannah  ;  and,  if  he  found  a  suitable  opportunity,  to  carry  that 
post  by  a  nocturnal  assault.  On  his  approach,  the  country  was  laid 
waste  with  fire  by  the  enemy ;  but  he  drew  his  supplies  from  South 
Carolina,  and  at  the  head  of  a  force  equal  only  to  half  that  opposed 
to  him,  he  pursued  his  operations  with  vigor.  He  defeated  Colonel 
Brown,  who  had  been  sent  out  to  protect  a  party  of  Indians,  on  their 
way  to  Savannah,  for  the  purposes  of  trade.  About  a  month  after 
the  defeat  of  Brown,  the  party  it  had  been  his  object  to  protect, 
reached  the  neighborhood  of  Wayne  unperceived,  and  their  leader, 
Guristersigo,  a  chief  of  renown,  had  obtained  information  of  the  station 
of  an  American  picket,  directly  on  his  route  to  Savannah  :  through 
this  picket  he  determined  to  force  his  way  ;  but  when  he  made  the 
attempt,  he  found  the  main  body,  with  the  General,  at  the  post :  and, 
although  he  succeeded  in  silently  killing  the  sentinel,  and  falling 
upon  the  rear  by  surprise,  about  two  hours  before  day,  he  was  killed 
in  the  conflict,  and  his  party  scattered  in  every  direction.  The  pro- 
tection afforded  by  the  force  under  General  Wayne,  enabled  the 
governor  and  council  again  to  establish  civil  authority  in  Georgia ; 
and,  in  a  short  time,  Savannah,  the  last  hold  of  the  British  power  in 
that  state,  was  evacuated.  At  this  time,  General  Greene  was 
approaching  Charleston,  and  Wayne  proceeded  to  join  him;  and 
when  the  British  force  retired,  he  entered  the  town,  at  the  head  of  the 
light  troops. 

On  the  return  of  peace,  he  retired  to  private  life.  In  1789,  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  convention,  and  was  an  advocate  for 
the  present  <  onstitution  of  the  United  States. 

In  1792,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  army  engaged 
against  the  Indians,  on  the  north-western  frontier. 

The  Indians,  on  that  border,  excited  by  the  tories  and  British  agents, 
resident  among  them,  had  for  a  long  time  evinced  their  hostility  to 
the  American  government.  To  repress  and  punish  these  hostilities, 
several  expeditions  had  been  made  into  their  country ;  but  these 
had  failed ;  and  from  their  failure,  the  Indians  derived  new  strength 
and  confidence.  Harmar  had  retreated  from  their  country  beaten, 
and  with  disgrace ;  and  St,  Clair  had  been  routed  with  terrific 
slaughter.  Success,  of  course,  gave  new  hope  and  boldness  to  the 
savages  ;  and,  it  was  feared,  that  it  would  excite  other  tribes  to  join 
their  alliance,  and  produce  a  general  confederation  among  them. 
They  had  rejected,  with  disdain,  every  overture  to  accommodation  ; 
and  two  brave  and  meritorious  officers,  Colonel  Harden  and  Maj<ir 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Freeman,  whilst  bearing  a  scheme  of  pacification  to  them,  had  been 
barbarously  murdered.  Under  these  circumstances,  when  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  destined  for  the  new  expedition  was  of  such 
importance,  General  Washington  evinced  his  confidence  in  Wayne, 
by  nominating  him  to  it.  The  service  was  accounted  so  dangerous, 
and  there  was  so  little  inducement  to  enhst,  that  the  recruiting  of 
troops  proceeded  but  slowly.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  was 
thought  that  the  meditated  expedition  could  not  prudently  be  under- 
taken in  the  course  of  that  year.  The  Indians,  too,  evinced  a  greater 
willingness  to  treat ;  and,  through  the  intervention  of  the  Six  Nations, 
the  savages  of  the  Miami  and  the  Wabash,  consented  to  hold  a 
conference  with  the  American  commissioners  in  the  ensuing  spring, 
that  of  1793.  In  the  mean  time,  the  preparations  for  war  went  on  : 
the  army  was  cantoned  on  the  Ohio  for  the  winter ;  the  new  levies 
were  disciplined,  and  the  recruiting  continually  urged.  In  the  spring, 
the  American  commissioners  proceeded  to  Niagara ;  but  the  Indians 
did  not  meet  them  until  July.  Their  demands  were  then  so  exorbi- 
tant, as  to  be  utterly  inadmissible  by  the  United  States.  The  nego- 
tiations had,  however,  been  protracted  until  September ;  and  when 
the  savages  announced  their  rejection  of  the  terms  proposed  by  the 
commissioners,  the  season  was  too  far  advanced  to  make  any  decisive 
movements.  Wayne  deferred  all  hostile  operations  until  the  ensuing 
spring,  but  he  advanced,  and  took  possession  of  the  ground  on  which 
the  Americans  had  been  defeated  in  1791,  and  built  a  fort  there,  which 
he  called  Fort  Recovery.  By  taking  this  position  he  was  enabled  to 
protect,  more  effectually,  the  frontiers  of  the  union,  while  the  army 
remained  within  striking  distance  of  the  principal  settlements  of  the 
enemy. 

In  the  next  year,  active  preparations  were  made  for  bringing  the 
war  to  a  conclusion  ;  but  the  difficulty  of  procuring  supplies  retarded 
the  opening  of  the  campaign  until  near  midsummer  ;  and  it  was  not 
until  the  8th  of  August  that  the  army  arrived  at  the  junction  of  the 
river  Au  Glaize  with  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes.  Here,  Wayne  halted 
a  few  days,  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  up  some  works  for  the  pro- 
tection of  his  baggage.  About  forty  miles  distant,  the  British  occupied 
a  post ;  and  it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  this  post  that  the  hostile  Indians 
were  assembled.  According  to  information  on  which  he  relied, 
Wayne  calculated  their  numbers  to  amount  to  about  two  thousand 
men.  To  this,  his  own  force  was  superior ;  the  continental  legion 
alone  being  nearly  equal  in  numbers  to  the  Indians :  besides  which, 
he  had  under  his  command  about  eleven  hundred  Kentucky  militia. 


ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

Though  confident  of  victory,  with  a  humane  and  generous  pohcy, 
he  determined  to  make  one  more  effort  to  obtain  peace  without  the 
effusion  of  blood.  He  invited  the  Indians  to  appoint  deputies  to  meet 
him  on  his  march,  in  order  to  negotiate  a  treaty  :  he  exhorted  them 
to  be  no  longer  deceived  by  the  counsel  of  those  who  had  neither 
power  nor  inclination  to  protect  them  ;  and  he  urged  them  to  accede 
to  his  present  proposition,  as  the  only  means  of  preserving  themselves 
and  their  families  from  famine. 

On  the  15th,  the  army  advanced,  by  slow  and  cautious  marches, 
down  the  Miami :  one  brigade  of  mounted  volunteers,  commanded 
by  Brigadier  General  Todd,  on  the  left ;  the  other,  by  Brigadier 
General  Barber,  in  the  rear.  A  select  battalion  of  mounted  volunteers, 
commanded  by  Major  Price,  moved  in  front  of  the  legion,  to  prevent 
surprise,  the  Indians  having  returned  an  evasive  answer  to  the 
proposition  of  a  treaty,  and  General  Wayne  not  knowing  which  to 
expect,  peace  or  war.  After  advancing  about  five  miles,  the  corps 
under  Major  Price  received  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy,  concealed 
among  the  woods  and  high  grass,  and  fell  back  upon  the  main  body. 

The  Indians  had  chosen  a  position  very  favorable  to  their  mode 
of  warfare.  A  great  quantity  of  fallen  timber,  which  seemed  to  have 
been  blown  down  by  a  tornado,  rendered  the  wood  in  front  of  the 
British  fort  almost  inaccessible  to  cavalry ;  and,  in  this  wood,  they 
had  formed  their  army  in  three  lines,  according  to  their  custom,  with 
a  very  extended  front,  stretching  nearly  two  miles  at  right  angles 
with  the  river.  Judging  from  the  extent  of  their  lines,  and  the 
heaviness  of  their  fire,  that  the  enemy  was  in  full  force  in  front,  and 
endeavoring  to  turn  his  left  flank,  Wayne  ordered  the  second  line  to 
advance  to  the  support  of  the  first,  at  the  same  time  the  first  line  was 
ordered  to  advance  and  charge,  and  "  to  rouse  the  Indians  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet,  and  when  up,  to  deliver  a  close  and  well  directed  fire 
upon  their  backs,  followed  by  a  brisk  charge,  so  as  not  to  give  them 
time  to  load  again,  nor  to  form  their  lines." 

Colonel  Campbell,  with  the  legionary  cavalry,  was  also  ordered  to 
turn  their  left  flank,  next  to  the  river,  where  the  ground  was  more 
favorable  for  horse  to  act  on  ;  and  General  Scott,  with  the  mounted 
volunteers,  was  directed  to  perform  the  same  service  on  their  right. 
These  orders  were  obeyed  with  spirit  and  promptness.  "  But  such," 
says  the  General,  in  his  despatch,  "  was  the  intrepidity  of  the  charge 
by  the  first  line  of  infantry,  that  the  Indians,  and  Canadian  militia, 
and  volunteers,  were  driven  from  all  their  coverts  in  so  short  a  time, 
that,  although  every  possible  exertioji  was  used  by  the  officers  of  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

second  line  of  the  legion,  and  by  Generals  Scott,  Wood,  and  Barber, 
of  the  mounted  volunteers,  to  gain  their  proper  positions,  but  part  of 
each  could  get  up  in  time  to  participate  in  the  action,  the  enemy 
being  driven  in  the  course  of  one  hour  more  than  two  miles,  through 
the  thick  woods  already  mentioned,  by  less  than  one  half  of  their 
number,"  The  troops  actually  engaged  on  the  part  of  the  Americans, 
did  not  amount  to  nine  hundred  men.  The  Americans,  in  this  action, 
lost  thirty-three  men  killed,  and  one  hundred  wounded.  The  loss 
of  the  enemy  could  not  be  exactly  ascertained.  Wayne  remained 
for  three  days  on  the  banks  of  the  Miami,  during  which  time  all  the 
houses  and  corn-fields,  for  a  considerable  distance,  above  and  below 
the  field  of  battle,  were  destroyed :  among  them,  were  the  property 
and  stores  of  M'Kee,  the  British  Indian  agent,  and  a  principal  insti- 
gator of  the  war.  During  these  operations,  a  correspondence  took 
place  between  General  Wayne,  and  Colonel  Campbell,  the  com- 
mander of  the  British  garrison ;  and  the  latter  prevented  hostilities 
only  by  permitting  the  destruction  of  property  within  reach  of  the 
guns  of  the  fort.     On  the  27th,  the  army  returned  to  head  quarters. 

The  hostilities  of  the  Indians  still  continuing,  forts  were  established 
in  the  midst  of  their  settlements,  to  prevent  their  return.  These 
measures  proved  successful.  The  hopes  of  the  savages  were  crushed 
their  resources  exhausted,  and  their  brethren,  who  had  shown  symp- 
toms of  a  dangerous  temper,  prevented  from  taking  part  with  them. 
On  the  3d'  of  August,  1795,  a  definitive  treaty,  on  terms  satisfactory 
to  the  American  government,  was  concluded  with  them,  by  General 
Wayne.  The  next  year  saw  the  termination  of  his  useful  and 
honorable  life.  He  died  in  December,  1796,  in  a  hut  at  Presque  Isle, 
while  engaged  in  the  service  of  his  country.  His  remains  were 
buried  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie  ;  but,  in  1809,  they  were 
removed  to  his  native  county,  by  his  son,  Isaac  Wayne,  Esq, 

General  Wayne  was  possessed  of  a  commanding  presence,  pleasing 
address,  and  daring  bravery.  He  was  excellent  in  discipline,  unri- 
valled in  enterprise,  and  was  always  held  in  high  respect  by  his 
companions  in  arms. 

The  state  of  Georgia  testified  their  gratitude  to  him  by  the  present 
of  an  estate,  immediately  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  given  to  his 
friend  General  Greene.  The  Cincinnati  society  have  erected  a 
monument  to  his  memory,  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  David's  church, 
near  the  place  of  his  birth. 

8 


EajntcdbvColJ.Tninit'jU  RA.A.^A 


£ngra\'ed  by  Edwr  Sci-Tvou 


MA.ioH  (u:m:uai.  wh.i.ivm    moii.tuii. 


H,.,.,.,„o-  ,„  .|, 


iilu-ni  OijitJ ' 


WILLIAM     MOULTRIE. 


This  patriotic  citizen  has  contributed  towards  the  history  of  the 
United  States,  two  vohimes  of  "  Memoirs  of  the  American  Revohi- 
tion."  As  these  relate  principally  to  events  which  occurred  in  South 
Carolina  within  his  own  knowledge,  they  are  invaluable  as  authentic 
records.  On  their  authority,  we  shall  briefly  describe  the  situation 
of  South  Carolina  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolution,  and  the 
measures  adopted  by  her  patriotic  citizens  of  those  days,  when  they 
made  common  cause  with  the  other  colonists  in  defence  of  their 
violated  rights. 

Settled  at  a  much  later  period  than  the  eastern  colonies,  the  greatest 
evils  Carolina  had  endured,  originated  from  the  anomalous  characters 
of  the  first  settlers ;  English  puritans  and  cavaliers,  French  huguenots, 
and  others  ;  which  led  to  constant  disputes  amongst  themselves ;  and 
from  the  unjust  and  arbitrary  manner  in  which  the  government  was 
administered  by  the  proprietaries.  Whilst  the  colonists  of  New 
England  clung  to  their  charters,  as  the  palladium  of  their  liberties, 
those  of  South  Carolina  sought  relief  by  an  appeal  to  the  throne  ; — 
by  renouncing  the  proprietary  government ;  and  by  establishing  one 
of  their  own  in  the  name  of  the  king.  This  took  place  in  1719,  and 
from  that  time  until  the  revolution,  the  government  was  administered 
by  a  royal  governor,  and  their  laws  enacted  by  a  provincial  assembly. 
The  proprietary  govermnent  had  been  not  only  unjust,  but  impolitic ; 
it  left  the  colonists  to  contend  against  the  Indians  and  the  Spaniards 
at  their  own  expense,  which  discouraged  emigration,  and  impover- 
ished the  country,  by  continually  draining  it  of  its  resources ;  at  the 
same  time,  it  exercised  a  most  arbitrary  and  illegal  power,  by  repealing 
the  laws  which  the  general  assembly  of  the  colony  had  thought 
necessary  for  its  preservation  and  defence.  The  consequence  was, 
that  more  than  fifty  years  after  its  first  settlement,  the  whole  white 
population  of  South  Carolina  did  not  exceed  fifty  thousand  ;  and  "  the 
face  of  the  country  appeared  like  a  desert,  with  little  spots  here  and 
there  cleared,  scarcely  discernible  amidst  the  immense  forest."    But 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

under  the  royal  government,  the  population  rapidly  increased,  the 
country  was  explored  and  cultivated,  and  wealth,  and  a  comparative 
degree  of  ease  and  freedom,  were  enjoyed. 

South  Carohna  did  not  then,  become  a  party  in  the  great  contest, 
so  much  from  any  local  grievance  or  special  cause  of  complaint,  as 
from  a  high,  chivalrous  impulse,  and  a  firm  conviction  of  the  correct- 
ness of  the  principle,  "  that  the  colonies  were  entitled  to  the  sole  and 
exclusive  privilege  of  giving  and  granting  their  own  money." 

The  first  advance  towards  a  continental  union  was  made  by  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1765,  it  was  seconded  by  South  Carolina,  and  in 
October  of  that  year,  delegates  from  nine  of  the  provinces  assembled 
in  New  York,  and  agreed  to  a  declaration  of  rights,  and  a  statement 
of  grievances. 

After  the  passage  of  the  celebrated  bill  for  shutting  up  the  port  of 
Boston,  the  inhabitants  of  that  town  appealed  to  the  "sister  colonies." 
The  appeal  was  promptly  answered  by  South  Carolina,  and  delegates 
were  appointed  to  the  congress  which  assembled  in  Philadelphia  on 
the  fifth  of  September,  1774.     When  the  delegates  had  returned  to 
Charleston,  and  reported  the  serious  character  of  the  dispute  with 
Great  Britain,  the  general  committee  determined  to  call  a  provincial 
congress.     In  every  parish  and  district,  representatives  were  elected 
to  meet  in  Charleston  on  the  eleventh  of  January,  1775.     In  a  few 
days,  they  approved  the  bill  of  rights,  as  declared  by  the  continental 
congress, — agreed  to  the  American  association,  and  recommended 
the  inhabitants  to  be  diligent  in  learning  the  use  of  arms.     Amongst 
many  other  decisive  and  patriotic  measures,  they  resolved  unani- 
mously, that  any  person  who  should  take,  or  act  under  any  commis- 
sion in  any  wise  derived  from  the  act  of  parliament,  changing  the 
form  of  government,  and  violating  the  charter  of  the  provinces  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  ought  to  be  held  in  detestation  and  abhorrence 
by  all  good  men,  and  considered  as  the  wicked  tools  of  that  despotism, 
which  was  preparing  to  destroy  those  rights,  which  God,  nature,  and 
compact,  had  given  to  America.     Still,  hopes  of  a  reconciliation  were 
entertained,  until  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  was  received  ; 
from  that  moment  there  was  no  hesitation  as  to  the  course  to  be 
pursued.     The  provincial  congress  was  again  called  together  on  the 
first  of  June.     "At  this  summons,"  says  General  Moultrie,  "the 
people  were  greatly  alarmed,  and  their  minds  much  agitated ;  they 
saw  that  war  was  inevitable  ;  and  that  it  was  to  be  with  that  country 
which  first  planted  them  in  America,  and  raised  them  to  maturity ; 
a  country  with  which  they  were  connected  by  consanguinity,  by 


WILLIAM  MOULTRIE. 

custom,  and  by  manners ;  by  religion,  by  laws,  and  by  language ;  a 
country  that  they  had  always  been  taught  to  respect,  and  to  consider 
as  amongst  the  first  in  the  world.  A  rich  and  powerful  nation,  with 
immense  fleets,  and  experienced  admirals,  sailing  triumphantly  over 
the  ocean  ;  with  large  armies  and  able  generals  in  many  parts  of  the 
globe :  this  great  nation  we  dared  to  oppose,  without  money,  without 
arms,  without  ammunition  ;  no  generals,  no  armies,  no  admirals,  and 
no  fleets ;  this  was  our  situation  when  the  contest  began."  On  the 
first  day  of  the  meeting  of  the  provincial  congress,  "  they  determined 
upon  a  defensive  war ;  and  the  fourth  day  it  was  resolved  to  raise 
two  regiments  of  five  hundred  men  each."  Of  the  second  of  these 
regiments,  William  Moultrie  was  appointed  colonel,  on  the  17th 
of  June,  1775 ;  (the  same  day  on  which  was  fought  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,)  and  from  that  time  he  was  constantly  engaged  in  the 
discharge  of  a  succession  of  active  and  arduous  duties.  In  Sep- 
tember, a  detachment  from  this  regiment  took  possession  of  Fort 
Johnson,  and  the  council  of  safety  ordered  him  to  have  a  flag  made, 
("  as  there  was  no  national  or  state  flag  at  that  time,")  upon  which, 
as  the  state  troops  were  clothed  in  blue,  and  wore  a  silver  crescent 
in  front  of  their  caps,  he  had  a  large  blue  flag  made,  with  a  crescent 
in  the  dexter  corner,  and  "  that  was  the  first  American  flag  displayed 
in  South  Carolina." 

There  was  at  the  time  a  sloop  of  war  laying  off"  Charleston,  which 
excited  constant  vigilance  and  uneasiness,  lest  the  town  or  the  fort 
should  be  attacked.  General  Moultrie  in  his  memoirs,  frequently 
notices  how  highly  they  were  impressed  with  the  mighty  power  of  a 
British  man-of-war.  When,  therefore,  the  flag  was  hoisted  on  the 
fort,  it  alarmed  the  timid.  "  They  said  it  had  the  appearance  of  a 
declaration  of  war,  and  the  captain  of  the  Tamer  would  look  upon  it 
as  an  insult  and  a  flag  of  defiance ;  but  he  knew  his  own  force  and 
kept  his  station."  The  Cherokee  sloop  of  war  soon  afterwards  joined 
the  Tamer,  and  blockaded  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  and  annoyed  the 
provincials  exceedingly  by  enticing  the  negroes  to  run  away  and 
form  a  camp  on  Sullivan's  Island.  On  the  19th  of  December,  on  a 
very  dark  and  cold  night.  Colonel  Moultrie,  with  a  number  of 
gentlemen,  and  two  hundred  soldiers,  embarked  from  Charleston  to 
erect  a  battery  at  Haddrell's  Point,  so  as  to  drive  ofl'  the  men-of-war ; — 
by  day-light  they  were  well  covered,  and  in  a  few  hours  laid  their 
platforms,  mounted  some  guns,  and  opened  their  embrasures.  The 
men-of-war  immediately  moved  further  off",  and  left  the  cove  and 
Sullivan's  Island  under  the  command  of  the  American   batteries. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Early  in  March,  1776,  Colonel  Moultrie  was  ordered  to  take  post 
on  Sullivan's  Island,  where  a  fort  was  building  large  enough  to 
contain  one  thousand  men.  At  this  time,  certain  intelligence  had 
been  received  that  an  expedition  was  preparing  in  New  York  against 
Charleston,  and  as  Colonel  Moultrie  rendered  a  good  account  of  it, 
when  it  arrived  within  reach  of  his  guns,  we  shall  give  his  own  plain 
narrative  of  one  of  the  most  brilliant  actions  of  the  revolutionary 
war.  "  At  this  time  it  was  the  general  opinion,  especially  among 
the  sailors,  that  two  frigates  would  be  a  sufficient  force  to  knock 
the  town  about  our  ears,  notwithstanding  our  number  of  batteries 
with  heavy  cannon ;  but  in  a  few  weeks,  experience  taught  us  that 
frigates  could  make  no  impression  on  our  palmetto  batteries." 

"  May  31,  a  large  fleet  of  British  vessels  were  seen  about  twenty 
miles  to  the  windward  of  the  bar ;  and  on  the  first  of  June,  they 
displayed  about  fifty  sail  before  the  town,  on  the  outside  of  the  bar. 
The  sight  of  these  vessels  alarmed  us  very  much ;  all  was  hurry  and 
confusion  :  the  president  with  his  council,  busy  in  sending  expresses 
to  every  part  of  the  country,  to  hasten  down  the  militia;  men 
running  about  the  town  looking  for  horses,  carriages,  and  boats,  to 
send  their  families  into  the  country  ;  and  as  they  were  going  through 
the  town  gates  into  the  country,  they  met  the  militia  from  the 
country  marching  into  town :  traverses  were  made  in  the  principal 
streets ;  fleches  thrown  up  at  every  place  where  troops  could  land, 
military  works  going  on  every  where,  the  lead  taken  from  the  win- 
dows of  the  churches  and  dwelling  houses,  to  cast  into  musket  balls, 
and  every  preparation  to  receive  an  attack,  which  was  expected  in  a 
few  days.  June  4th,  General  Lee  arrived  from  the  northward,  and 
took  command  of  the  troops.  When  he  came  to  Sullivan's  Island, 
he  did  not  like  that  post  at  all ;  he  said  there  was  no  way  to  retreat, 
that  the  garrison  would  be  sacrificed  ;  nay,  he  called  it  a  '  slaughter 
pen,'  and  wished  to  withdraw  the  garrison  and  give  up  the  post,  but 
President  Rutledge  insisted  that  it  should  not  be  given  up : — for  my 
part,  I  never  was  uneasy  on  not  having  a  retreat,  because  I  never 
imagined  the  enemy  could  force  me  to  that  necessity.  Captain 
Lamperer,  a  brave  and  experienced  seaman,  who  had  been  master  of 
a  man-of-war,  visited  me  at  the  fort  after  the  British  ships  came  over 
the  bar  ;  while  we  were  walking  on  the  platform,  looking  at  the  fleet, 
he  said  to  me :  '  Well,  colonel ;  what  do  you  think  of  it  now  ?'  I 
repHed,  that  '  we  should  beat  them.'  '  Sir,'  said  he ;  '  when  those 
ships  come  to  lay  along  side  of  your  fort,  they  will  knock  it  down  in 
half  an  hour,'  (and  that  was  the  opinion  of  all  the  sailors,)  then  I 


WILLIAM  MOULTRIE. 

said,  '  we  will  lay  behind  the  ruins,  and  prevent  their  men  from 
landing.'  Our  fort  at  this  time  was  not  nearly  finished ;  the 
mechanics  and  negro  laborers  were  taken  from  all  the  works  about 
the  town,  and  sent  down  to  the  island  to  complete  our  fort ;  we 
worked  very  hard,  but  could  not  get  it  nearly  finished  before  the 
action.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  June,  I  paid  a  visit  to  our 
advance-guard ;  while  I  was  there,  I  saw  a  number  of  the  enemy's 
boats  in  motion  at  the  back  of  Long  Island,  as  if  they  intended  a 
descent ;  at  the  same  time,  I  saw  the  men-of-war  loose  their  topsails. 
I  hurried  back  to  the  fort  as  fast  as  possible  ;  when  I  got  there,  the 
ships  were  already  under  sail ;  I  immediately  ordered  the  long  roll 
to  beat,  and  officers  and  men  to  their  posts.  We  had  scarcely 
manned  our  guns  when  the  following  ships  of  war  came  sailing  up, 
as  if  in  confidence  of  victory ;  as  soon  as  they  came  within  reach  of 
our  guns,  we  began  to  fire;  —  they  were  soon  abreast  of  our  little 
fort, — let  go  their  anchors  with  springs  upon  their  cables,  and  began 
their  attack  most  furiously  about  ten  o'clock,  A.M.,  and  continued  a 
brisk  fire  till  about  eight  o'clock,  P.M. 

"  The  ships  were  the  Bristol,  of  fifty  guns.  Commodore  Sir  Peter 
Parker :  the  captain  had  his  arm  shot  off",  forty-four  men  killed,  and 
thirty  wounded.  The  Experiment,  fifty  guns :  the  captain  lost  his 
arm,  fifty-seven  killed  and  thirty  wounded.  The  Active,  twenty- 
eight  guns :  one  lieutenant  killed,  and  one  man  wounded.  The 
Sole-Bay,  twenty-eight  guns  :  two  killed,  three  or  four  wounded. 
The  Syren,  twenty-eight  guns.  The  Acteon,  twenty-eight  guns : 
burnt ;  one  lieutenant  killed.  The  Sphinx,  twenty-eight  guns  :  lost 
her  bowsprit.  The  Friendship,  twenty-six  guns ;  an  armed  vessel 
taken  into  service. 

"  The  Thunder-Bomb  had  the  beds  of  her  mortar  soon  disabled  ; 
she  threw  her  shells  in  a  very  good  direction ;  most  of  them  fell 
within  the  fort ;  but  we  had  a  morass  in  the  middle,  that  swallowed 
them  up  instantly.  At  one  time,  the  commodore's  ship  swung  round 
with  her  stern  to  the  fort,  which  drew  the  fire  of  all  the  guns  that 
could  bear  upon  her.  The  words  that  passed  along  the  platform 
by  officers  and  men  were,  '  mind  the  commodore — mind  the  two  fifty- 
gun  ships' ;  most  of  our  attention  was  paid  to  the  two  fifty-gun  ships, 
especially  the  commodore,  who,  I  dare  say,  was  not  at  all  obliged  to 
us  for  our  particular  attention  to  him.  Durhig  the  action,  thousands 
of  our  fellow-citizens  were  looking  on  with  anxious  hopes  and  fears, 
some  of  whom  had  their  fathers,  brothers,  and  husbands  in  the  battle; 
whose  hearts  must  have  been  pierced  at  every  broadside.     After  some 

5 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

time,  our  flag  was  shot  away :  their  hopes  were  then  gone,  and  they 
gave  up  all  for  lost !  supposing  that  we  had  struck  our  flag  and  given 
up  the  fort.  Sergeant  Jasper,  perceiving  that  the  flag  was  shot  away, 
and  had  fallen  without  the  fort,  jumped  from  one  of  the  embrasures, 
and  brought  it  up  through  a  heavy  fire,  fixed  it  upon  a  spunge  stafi", 
and  planted  it  upon  the  ramparts  again.  Our  flag  once  more  waving 
in  the  air,  revived  the  drooping  spirits  of  our  friends,  and  they 
continued  looking  on  till  night  had  closed  the  scene,  and  hid  us  from 
their  view.  At  length,  the  British  gave  up  the  conflict ;  the  ships 
slipped  their  cables,  and  dropped  down  with  the  tide  and  out  of  the 
reach  of  our  guns.  When  the  firing  had  ceased,  our  friends  for  a 
time  were  again  in  an  unhappy  suspense,  not  Imowing  our  fate ;  till 
they  received  an  account  by  a  despatch  boat  which  I  sent  up  to  town 
to  acquaint  them  that  the  British  ships  had  retired,  and  that  we  were 
victorious."* 

A  few  days  after  this  battle,  the  lady  of  Major  Elliott  presented  an 
elegant  pair  of  colors  to  Colonel  Moultrie  and  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Motte,  of  the  gallant  second  regiment.  These  colors  were  honorably 
supported  ;  they  v/ere  planted  on  the  British  lines  at  Savannah,  where 
one  of  them  was  lost ;  the  other  was  saved  by  the  brave  Sergeant 
Jasper,  who  was  mortally  wounded  in  the  act ;  but  it  was  afterwards 
taken  at  the  fall  of  Charleston. 

"  As  soon  as  the  British  had  retreated  after  the  battle  of  Sullivan's 
Island,  the  state  was  left  tranquil  and  free  from  any  apprehension  of 
another  attack."  General  Moultrie  was  sent  with  an  expedition  to 
Georgia ;  when  he  arrived  at  Savannah,  preparations  were  made  for 
an  attack  on  St.  Augustine,  where  his  brother  was  governor ;  but 
part  of  the  troops  being  recalled,  the  project  was  abandoned.  Shortly 
after  this,  the  colonial  troops  were  put  on  the  continental  establish- 
ment, and  Colonel  Moultrie  came  into  the  line  of  the  army,  as  a 
brigadier  general,  his  commission  being  dated  September  16,  1776. 

When  General  Lincoln  took  command  of  the  southern  department, 
General  Moultrie  was  ordered  to  join  the  army  with  his  brigade  at 
Purisburgh.  In  February,  1779,  with  a  detachment,  consisting  of 
only  a  few  hundred  militia,  and  nine  continental  troops,  he  defeated 
a  superior  force  of  the  enemy  near  Beaufort.  General  Lincoln  soon 
after  marched  into  Georgia,  and  left  General  Moultrie  with  about 
twelve  hundred  militia  and  a  few  continentals,  to  watch  the  motions 


*  The  fort  on  Sullivan's  Island  was,  bv  the  legislature,  afterwards  named  Fort  Moultrie. 

6 


WILLIAM  MOUI^TRIE. 

of  the  British,  who  were  by  this  time  collecting  a  force  for  the  pur- 
pose of  striking  at  some  important  point.  In  the  beginning  of  May, 
they  advanced  towards  Charleston,  with  nearly  four  thousand  men 
under  the  command  of  General  Provost.  Moultrie  retired  before 
them,  destroying  the  bridges  on  the  route,  and  impeding  them  as 
opportunities  oifered;  he  at  the  same  time  kept  the  governor  in 
Charleston,  and  General  Lincoln,  informed  of  the  enemy's  advance. 
In  a  few  days  he  reached  Charleston,  but  with  only  six  hundred 
men ;  the  rest  had  deserted  by  the  way.  General  Provost  appeared 
before  the  town  ;  but  a  few  cannon  shot  stopped  his  progress.  The 
governor  and  his  council  were  so  much  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of  a 
siege,  that  they  requested  a  parley.  General  Provost  offered  pro- 
tection to  such  of  the  inhabitants  as  would  accept  of  it,  and  to  receive 
the  rest  as  prisoners  of  war.  This  proposal  was  rejected,  and  a 
proposition  of  neutrality  during  the  war  was  sent.  The  military 
were  so  decidedly  opposed  to  such  a  spiritless  submission,  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  an  officer  could  be  prevailed  on  to  bear  the  message. 
When  it  was  at  last  delivered,  General  Provost  replied  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  governor,  his  business  was  with  General 
Moultrie.  "Upon  this,"  says  the  general,  "the  governor  and 
council  looked  very  grave  and  steadfastly  on  each  other  and  on  me, 
not  knowing  what  I  would  say.  After  a  little  pause,  I  said,  '  Gentle- 
men, you  see  how  the  matter  stands, — the  point  is  this:  am  I  to 
deliver  you  up  prisoners  of  war,  or  not  T  Some  replied  '  Yes.'  I 
then  said,  '  I  am  determined  not  to  deliver  you  up  prisoners  of  war. 
We  will  fight  it  out.'  I  immediately  ordered  a  flag  to  be  waved  from 
the  gate,  which  was  the  signal  agreed  upon,  should  the  conference 
be  at  an  end."  But  all  were  disappointed  in  the  result ;  for  the  next 
morning,  at  daylight,  it  was  discovered,  that  the  enemy  had  decamped. 
They  had  intercepted  a  letter  from  General  Lincoln,  who  was  in  their 
rear  with  four  thousand  men.  In  the  spring  of  1780,  General 
Moultrie  again  distinguished  himself  at  the  siege  of  Charleston  ; 
which,  after  holding  out  upwards  of  a  month,  capitulated,  and  he 
remained  a  prisoner  of  war  until  February,  1782,  when  he  was 
exchanged  for  General  Burgoyne.  He  was  promoted  by  congress  to 
the  rank  of  major  general,  but  was  not  afterwards  engaged  in  mili- 
tary operations,  as  at  that  period  the  British  held  no  strong  post 
in  South  Carolina,  except  Charleston,  and  that  they  evacuated  in 
December  of  the  same  year. 

While  he  was  a  prisoner  on  parole,  a  proposition  was  made  to  him 
by  Lord  Charles  Montague,  under  the  guise  of  private  friendship,  to 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

leave  the  service,  accept  a  British  commission,  and  save  his  reputa- 
tion by  quitting  the  country ;  to  which  he  rephed  in  a  dignified  and 
becoming  manner,  in  a  letter,  from  which,  the  following  is  extracted : 

"  When  I  entered  into  this  contest,  I  did  it  with  the  most  mature 
deliberation,  and  with  a  determined  resolution  to  risk  my  life  and 
fortune  in  the  cause.  The  hardships  I  have  gone  through  I  look 
back  upon  with  the  greatest  pleasure  :  I  shall  continue  to  go  on  as  I 
have  begun,  that  my  example  may  encourage  the  youths  of  America 
to  stand  forth  in  defence  of  their  rights  and  liberties.  You  call  upon 
me  now,  and  tell  me  I  have  a  fair  opening  of  quitting  that  service 
with  honor  and  reputation  to  myself  by  going  to  Jamaica.  Good 
God  1  Is  it  possible  that  such  an  idea  could  arise  in  the  breast  of  a 
man  of  honor !  I  am  sorry  you  should  imagine  I  have  so  little 
regard  for  my  own  reputation  as  to  listen  to  such  dishonorable  pro- 
posals ;  would  you  wish  to  have  that  man  whom  you  have  honored 
with  your  friendship,  play  the  traitor  ?  Surely  not.  You  say,  by 
quitting  this  country  for  a  short  time,  I  might  avoid  disagreeable 
conversations,  and  might  return  at  my  own  leisure,  and  take  posses- 
sion of  my  estates  for  myself  and  family ;  but  you  have  forgot  to  tell 
me  how  I  am  to  get  rid  of  the  feelings  of  an  injured  honest  heart,  and 
where  to  hide  myself  from  myself; — could  I  be  guilty  of  so  much 
baseness  I  should  hate  myself  and  shun  mankind.  This  would  be  a 
fatal  exchange  from  my  present  situation,  with  an  easy  and  approved 
conscience  of  having  done  my  duty,  and  conducted  myself  as  a  man 
of  honor." 

The  only  authentic  information  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  of  the 
life  of  General  Moultrie  before,  or  subsequent  to  the  revolution  is, 
that  he  entered  the  field  of  Mars  as  the  captain  of  a  light  infantry 
company  in  a  provincial  regiment,  and  was  engaged  in  an  expedition 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians  in  1761.  He  was  governor  of  South 
Carolina,  in  1785-6,  and  again  in  1794-5.  He  died  September 
27th,  1805,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age. 


M.V.IOli    CI'.Nl'.UAI.    ISUAI'.I,    ITTNAM. 


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s  /  rrc 


rsf^ 


/  [///^  C{/?/? 


MAJOR  GENERAL 

ISKAEL    PUTNAM. 


There  are  some  names  connected  with  the  history  of  our  country 
which  associate  themselves  with  the  recollections  of  our  juvenile 
partialities.  Such  is  that  of  the  intrepid  man  whose  memoir  we  are 
about  to  sketch.  His  adventures,  often  bordering  on  the  marvellous, 
have  excited  the  admiration  of  our  youth ;  and  his  daring,  prompt, 
and  skilful  military  manoeuvres,  through  several  years  of  the  revo- 
lutionary war,  are  still  dwelt  on  with  pleasure  by  the  remnant  of  our 
time-worn  veterans.  Endowed  by  nature  with  a  powerful  frame,  a 
vigorous  intellect,  undaunted  courage,  and  a  spirit  of  enterprise,  he 
was  peculiarly  fitted  to  encounter  the  perils  and  hardships  of  the 
time  that  "  tried  men's  souls."  To  an  early  education  he  was  but 
little  indebted ;  but  his  own  observation,  his  intercourse  with  men, 
and  his  experience  during  a  service  of  several  years  with  the  British 
and  provincial  forces  engaged  in  the  conquest  of  Canada,  enabled 
him  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  high  military  rank  with  honor  to 
himself  and  usefulness  to  his  country.  In  his  disposition  he  was 
sincere,  gentle,  generous,  and  noble;  his  uprightness  commanded 
confidence,  and  "  his  word  (like  Petrarch's)  was  suflicient." 

Major  General  Israel  Putnam  descended  from  one  of  the  ear- 
liest settlers  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  which  town  he  was  born, 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1718.  In  his  youth  he  excelled  in  athletic 
exercises.  He  married  at  an  early  age,  and  removed  to  Pomfret,  in 
Connecticut,  where  for  several  years  he  cultivated  an  extensive  tract 
of  land.  Here  he  fiist  exhibited  the  daring  of  his  character  in  the 
destruction  of  a  she-wolf,  which,  after  a  long  pursuit,  had  taken 
refuge  in  a  dark  and  narrow  den,  about  forty  feet  from  the  entrance 
In  1755,  when  the  war  between  England  and  France  was  prosecuted 
in  America,  he  was  appointed  a  captain  of  rangers  in  the  provincial 
regiment  under  Colonel  Lyman.  He  afterwards  served  under  Gene- 
rals Abercrombie  and  Amherst,  on  the  frontiers  and  in  Canada,  and 
rose  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel.  During  that  period,  being 
frequently  in  situations  which  required  not  only  courage  but  unwea- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

ried  watchfulness  and  presence  of  mind,  he  gained  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  army. 

Of  his  numerous  adventures  by  flood  and  field  during  this  period, 
the  following  will  serve  as  examples,  characteristic  of  the  man  and 
of  the  service  in  which  he  was  engaged. 

When  stationed  at  Fort  Miller,  by  his  personal  exertions  a  maga- 
zine, containing  three  hundred  barrels  of  powder,  was  saved  from 
destruction  by  a  fire  which  consumed  the  barracks  and  burned 
through  the  outside  planks  of  the  magazine. 

Being  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Hudson,  near  the  rapids  in  the 
vicinity  of  Fort  Miller,  with  a  batteau  and  five  men,  he  received  a 
signal  from  the  opposite  bank  that  a  large  body  of  savages  were  in 
his  rear.  To  stay  and  be  sacrificed,  to  attempt  crossing  and  be  shot, 
or  to  go  down  the  falls,  were  the  sole  alternatives  that  presented 
themselves  to  his  choice.  So  instantaneously  was  the  latter  adopted, 
that  one  man  was  of  necessity  left,  and  fell  a  victim  to  savage  bar- 
barity. The  Indians  fired  on  the  batteau  before  it  could  be  got 
under  way ;  and  no  sooner  had  it  escaped  by  the  rapidity  of  the  cur- 
rent beyond  the  reach  of  musket-shot,  than  destruction  seemed  only 
to  have  been  avoided  in  one  form  to  be  encountered  in  another. 
Prominent  rocks,  latent  shelves,  absorbing  eddies,  and  abrupt  descents 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  afforded  scarcely  the  smallest  chance  of 
escaping.  Putnam  placed  himself  sedately  at  the  helm ;  his  com- 
panions saw  him  with  astonishment  avoiding  the  rocks  and  yawning 
gulfs  which  threatened  instant  destruction, "  and  safely  shooting 
through  the  only  passage,  they  at  last  viewed  the  batteau  gliding  on 
the  smooth  surface  of  the  stream  below. 

While  engaged  against  the  French  and  Indians  near  Lake  George. 
Major  Putnam  was  ambuscaded  and  attacked  by  a  superior  force. 
His  officers  and  men,  animated  by  his  example,  behaved  with  great 
bravery ;  but  after  several  discharges  his  fusee  missed  fire.  A  large 
and  well-proportioned  Indian,  witti  a  tremendous  war-whoop,  in- 
stantly sprang  forward  with  his  lifted  hatchet  and  compelled  him  to 
surrender,  and  having  disarmed  and  boTUid  him  to  a  tree,  returned  to 
the  battle.  The  Indians  having  changed  their  position,  he  was 
directly  between  the  fires  of  the  two  parties,  the  balls  flying  inces- 
santly from  each  side.  Many  struck  the  tree,  and  several  passed 
through  his  coat.  In  this  state  of  jeopardy  he  remained  more  than 
an  hour.  The  enemy  having  again  recovered  the  ground,  a  young 
savage  amused  himself  by  hurling  his  tomahawk  to  see  how  near  he 
could  throw  it  without  striking  his  head.     The  weapon  struck  in  the 


ISRAEL  PUTNAM. 

tree  a  number  of  times  at  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  mark.  After  the 
Indian  had  finished  his  amusement,  a  French  officer  approached  and 
levelled  his  fusee  within  a  foot  of  his  breast ;  but  fortunately  it  missed 
fire.  Besides  many  base  outrages  upon  this  defenceless  prisoner, 
they  inflicted  a  deep  wound  with  a  tomahawk  upon  his  left  cheek, 
and  this  mark  remained  during  life.  The  enemy  were  at  length 
driven  from  the  field ;  Putnam  was  untied  by  the  Indian  who  had 
made  him  prisoner,  and  was  stripped  of  his  coat,  vest,  stockings,  and 
shoes,  strongly  pinioned,  and  loaded  with  packs.  On  the  march 
through  the  wilderness.  Major  Putnam  became  so  exhausted,  that 
he  preferred  death  to  a  longer  continuance  in  distress.  A  French 
officer  now  interposed,  and  the  Indian  who  captured  him  gave  him 
a  pair  of  moccasons.  The  savages  being  determined  to  roast  him 
alive,  stripped  him  naked,  bound  him  to  a  tree,  piled  combustibles 
in  a  circle  round  him,  and,  with  horrid  screams  and  yells,  set  the 
pile  on  fire.  He  soon  began  to  feel  the  scorching  heat,  and  as  he 
shrunk  from  its  approach  by  shifting  sides,  his  inhuman  tormentors 
demonstrated  their  joy  by  yells  and  dances.  "  When  the  bitterness 
of  death  was  in  a  manner  past,  and  nature,  with  a  feeble  struggle, 
was  quitting  its  last  hold  on  sublunary  things,"  a  French  officer 
rushed  through  the  crowd,  scattered  the  burning  brands,  and  un- 
bound the  victim.  The  next  day  Major  Putnam  was  obliged  to 
march,  but  was  excused  from  carrying  any  burden.  After  having 
been  examined  by  the  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  he  was  conducted  to 
Montreal  by  a  French  officer,  and  treated  with  great  humanity.  At 
that  place,  among  other  prisoners,  was  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler,  a 
provincial  officer,  by  whose  assistance  he  was  soon  after  exchanged. 

At  the  expiration  of  ten  years  from  his  first  receiving  a  com- 
mission, after  having  seen  as  much  service,  endured  as  many 
hardships,  encountered  as  many  dangers,  and  acquired  as  many 
laurels,  as  any  officer  of  his  rank,  he  with  great  satisfaction  laid 
aside  his  uniform,  and  returned  to  his  plough.  No  character 
stood  fairer  in  the  public  estimation  for  integrity,  bravery,  and  pa- 
triotism. It  was  proverbially  said,  as  well  by  British  as  provincial 
officers,  that,  in  a  service  of  great  peril  and  hardship,  "  he  dared  to 
lead  where  any  dared  to  follow P 

At  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  between  the  American  colo- 
nies and  the  mother  country,  while  many  citizens  who  had  wit- 
nessed the  power  of  the  British  nation,  stood  aloof,  Putnam  was 
among  the  first  and  most  conspicuous  who  engaged  in  the  glo- 
rious  cause.     At  Boston  he   took   frequent   opportunities  of  con- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

versing  on  the  subject  with  General  Gage,  Lord  Percy,  Major  Small, 
and  other  officers  with  whom  he  had  formerly  served.  Being 
questioned,  in  case  the  dispute  should  proceed  to  hostilities,  what 
part  he  would  really  take,  he  answered,  "with  his  country;  and 
that,  whatever  might  happen,  he  was  prepared  to  abide  the  con- 
sequence." 

On  hearing  of  the  battle  at  Lexington,  Colonel  Putnam  left  his 
plough  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  and,  without  changing  his  clothes, 
repaired  to  Cambridge,  riding  in  a  single  day  one  hundred  miles. 
He  was  soon  appointed  a  major  general  in  the  provincial  army,  then 
to  be  raised,  and,  returning  to  Connecticut,  he  made  no  delay  in 
bringing  on  a  body  of  troops.     Not  long  after  his  appointment.  Gene- 
ral Gage,  unwilling  that  so  valuable  an  officer  should  act  in  opposi- 
tion, privately  conveyed  to  him  a  proposal,  that  if  he  would  quit  the 
rebel  jicirty,  he  might  rely  on  being  made  a  major  general  in  the 
British  establishment,  and  receiving  an  ample  pecuniary  compensa- 
tion for  his  services ;  but  he  spurned  the  offer.     On  the  16th  of  June, 
1775,  it  was  determined  in  a  council  of  war,  at  which  General  Put- 
nam assisted,  that  a  fortified  post  should  be  established  at,  or  near 
Bunker  Hill.     General  Putnam  marched  with  the  first  detachment, 
and  commenced  the  work ;  he  was  the  principal  engineer  who  traced 
the  fines  of  the  redoubt  on  Breed's  Hill,  and  he  continued  most  of  the 
night  with  the  workmen.     At  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the  17th, 
he  had  taken  his  station ;  and  he  participated  in  the  danger  as  well 
as  the  glory  of  that  day.     He  was,  it  is  believed,  considered  as  having 
the  general  superintendence  of  the  expedition.     As  the  enemy  ad- 
vanced, General  Putnam  rode  through  the  line  of  his  own  troops, 
and  ordered  that  no  one  should  fire  till  they  arrived  within  eight 
rods,  nor  any  one  until  commanded.     Powder  was  scarce,  and  must 
not  be  wasted.     They  should  not  fire  at  the  enemy  till  they  could  see 
the  white  of  their  eyes,  and  then  fire  low,  and  take  aim  at  their  waist- 
bands.   "  You  are  all  marksmen,"  he  added,  "  and  can  kill  a  squirrel 
at  a  hundred  yards ;  reserve  your  fire,  and  the  enemy  will  be  de- 
stroyed."    During  the  heat  of  the  battle,  Putnam  was  seen  riding 
from  front  to  rear,  and  from  place  to  place,  where  his  presence  was 
most  needed,  animating  both  officers  and  men,  his  sword  waving  in 
the  air,  threatening  to  cut  down  the  first  who  should  disobey  orders, 
or  act  a  cowardly  part.     At  one  time  the  gallant  Major  Small  was 
left  standing  alone,  every  one  shot  down  about  him.     The  never 
erring  muskets  were  levelled  at  him,  and  a  soldier's  fate  was  his 
inevitable  destiny,  had  not  Putnam  at  the  instant  appeared.     Each 


ISRAEL  PUTNAM. 

recognised  in  the  other  an  old  friend  and  fellow-soldier — the  tie  was 
sacred — Putnam  threw  up  the  deadly  muskets  with  his  sword,  and 
arrested  his  fate.  He  begged  his  men  to  spare  that  ofiicer,  as  dear 
to  him  as  a  brother.  The  general's  humane  and  chivalrous  gene- 
rosity excited  admiration,  and  his  friend  retired  unhurt. 

Both  the  poet  and  the  painter  have  placed  Putnam  in  the  rear  of 
the  retreating  troops. 

"  There  strides  bold  Putnam,  and  from  all  the  plains 
Calls  the  tired  host,  the  tardy  rear  sustains, 
And,  mid  the  whizzing  deaths  that  fill  the  air 
Waves  back  his  sword,  and  dares  the  following  war." 

Barlow's  Vision  or  Columbus,  and 

Tkumbull's  Battle  of  Bunkbr  Hill. 

In  connection  with  this  part  of  our  subject,  we  cannot  avoid  adding  the 
following  letter  from  Colonel  John  Trumbull,  an  officer  in  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  and  now  the  president  of  the  American  Academy  of  the 
Fine  Arts,  to  Daniel  Putnam,  esq.,  dated  "New  York,  March  30, 1818." 
"In  the  summer  of  1786,  I  became  acquainted  in  London  with 
Colonel  John  Small,  of  the  British  army,  who  had  served  in  Ame- 
rica many  years,  and  had  known  General  Putnam  intimately  during 
the  war  of  Canada,  from  1756  to  1763.  From  him  I  had  the 
following  anecdote  respecting  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  I  shall 
nearly  repeat  his  words.  Looking  at  the  picture,  which  I  had  then 
almost  completed,  he  said,  '  I  do  n't  like  the  situation  in  which  you 
have  placed  my  old  friend  Putnam — you  have  not  done  him 
justice.  I  wish  you  to  alter  that  part  of  your  picture,  and  introduce 
a  circumstance  which  actually  happened,  and  which  I  can  never 
forget.  When  the  British  troops  advanced  the  second  time  to  the 
attack  of  the  redoubt,  I,  with  other  officers,  was  in  front  of  the  line 
to  encourage  the  men.  We  had  advanced  very  near  the  works 
undisturbed,  when  an  irregular  fire,  like  a  feu  de  joie,  was  poured  in 
on  us — it  was  cruelly  fatal.  The  troops  fell  back ;  and  when  I 
looked  to  the  right  and  left,  I  saw  not  one  officer  standing.  I 
glanced  my  eye  to  the  enemy,  and  saw  several  young  men  levelling 
their  pieces  at  me  —  I  knew  their  excellence  as  marksmen,  and 
considered  myself  gone.  At  this  moment  my  old  friend  Putnam 
rushed  forward,  and  striking  up  the  muzzles  of  their  pieces  with  his 
sword,  cried  out,  '  For  God's  sake,  my  lads,  do  n't  fire  at  that  man  — 
I  love  him  as  I  do  my  brother.'  We  were  so  near  each  other,  that  I 
heard  his  words  distinctly.  He  was  obeyed — I  bowed,  thanked  him, 
and  walked  away  unmolested.' " 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

When,  in  July  1775,  General  Washington  arrived  at  Cambridge, 
he  found  General  Putnam  industriously  engaged  in  accelerating  the 
construction  of  the  necessary  defences.  His  great  activity  and  per- 
sonal industry,  the  undisguised  frankness  of  his  disposition,  and  the 
peculiar  interest  which  he  discovered  in  every  thing  pertaining  to 
the  army,  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  commander  in  chief;  a 
firm  friendship  was  cemented  between  these  two  generals,  which 
continued  undiminished  till  separated  by  death.  Washington  having 
divided  the  army  into  three  grand  divisions,  consisting  of  about 
twelve  regiments  each,  he  appointed  Major  General  Ward  to  com- 
mand the  right  wing.  Major  General  Lee  the  left  wing,  and  Major 
General  Putnam  the  reserve. 

Immediately  after  the  British  army  evacuated  Boston,  on  the  17th 
of  March,  1776,  General  Washington  ordered  the  greater  part  of  his 
army  to  New  York,  in  order  to  secure  that  city  from  an  attack ;  and 
detached  General  Putnam,  with  instructions  to  "make  the  best 
despatch  in  getting  to  New  York,  to  assume  the  command,  and 
immediately  proceed  in  continuing  to  execute  the  plan  proposed  by 
Major  General  Lee,  for  fortifying  that  city,  and  securing  the  passes 
of  the  East  and  North  rivers."  On  his  arrival,  he  issued  his  orders, 
enjoining  on  the  soldiers  the  strictest  observance  of  order,  and 
prohibiting  the  inhabitants  from  all  intercourse  with  the  British 
fleet.  The  consequence  was,  that  in  a  short  time  all  the  British 
.armed  vessels  sailed  out  of  the  harbor.  The  commander  in  chief 
arrived  in  New  York  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  in  his  first 
public  orders  returned  thanks  to  the  officers  who  had  successively 
commanded  at  New  York,  for  the  many  works  of  defence  which  had 
been  so  expeditiously  erected. 

General  Washington  being  required  by  congress  to  visit  Philadel- 
phia, General  Putnam  was  the  commander  of  the  army  during  his 
absence,  from  the  21st  of  May  to  the  6th  of  June.  The  most 
important  duties  devolved  upon  him,  which  were  executed  in  a 
manner  the  most  effectual  and  satisfactory. 

It  was  but  two  days  previous  to  the  battle  on  Long  Island,  that 
General  Putnam  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  that  post ;  and  he 
assisted  in  the  arduous  and  complicated  difiiculties  of  that  masterly 
retreat.  In  the  memorable  and  distressing  flight  of  the  American 
army  through  New  Jersey,  in  1776,  he  was  always  near,  always  the 
friend,  the  supporter,  and  confidant  of  his  chief.  After  reaching  the 
western  bank  of  the  Delaware  with  the  rear  of  the  army,  he  was 
ordered  to  Philadelphia,  to  fortify  and  defend  that  city  against  a 
meditated  attack.     When  in  the  summer  of  1777,  Fort  Montgomery 


ISRAEL  PUTNAM. 

was  captured  by  the  enemy,  and  it  was  determined  to  erect  another 
fortification  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  for  the  defence  of  that  river, 
the  commander  in  chief  left  it  wholly  to  the  judgment  of  General 
Putnam  to  fix  on  the  spot,  who  decided  in  favor  of  West  Point. 

In  the  battle  of  Princeton,  Captain  M'Pherson,  of  the  17th  British 
regiment,  was  desperately  wounded  and  left  with  the  dead.  General 
Putnam  found  him  languishing  in  extreme  distress,  without  a 
surgeon,  without  accommodation,  and  without  a  friend.  He  imme- 
diately caused  every  possible  comfort  to  be  administered  to  him. 
"While  the  recovery  of  Captain  M'Pherson  was  doubtful,  he  desired 
that  General  Putnam  would  permit  a  friend  in  the  British  army  at 
Brunswick  to  come  and  assist  him  in  making  his  will.  General 
Putnam,  who  had  then  only  fifty  men  in  his  whole  command,  was 
sadly  embarrassed  by  the  proposition.  He  was  not  willing  that  a 
British  officer  should  spy  out  the  weakness  of  his  post ;  and  it  was 
not  in  his  nature  to  refuse  complying  with  a  dictate  of  humanity. 
He  luckily  bethought  himself  of  an  expedient,  which  he  hastened  to 
put  in  practice.  A  flag  was  despatched  with  Captain  M'Pherson's 
request,  but  under  an  injunction  not  to  return  with  his  friend  until 
night.  In  the  evening,  lights  were  placed  in  all  the  rooms  of  the 
college,  (at  Princeton,)  and  in  every  apartment  of  the  vacant  houses 
throughout  the  town.  During  the  whole  night,  the  fifty  men,  some- 
times altogether  and  sometimes  in  small  detachments,  were  marched 
from  different  quarters  by  the  house  in  which  M'Pherson  lay. 
Afterwards  it  was  known  that  the  officer,  on  his  return,  reported  that 
General  Putnam's  army,  upon  the  most  moderate  calculation,  could 
not  consist  of  less  than  four  or  five  thousand  men." 

While  General  Putnam  was  posted'  at  Peekskill,  a  person  by  the 
name  of  Palmer,  who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  tory  levies,  was 
detected  in  his  camp.  Governor  Tryon  reclaimed  him  as  a  British 
officer,  and  threatened  vengeance  in  case  he  should  be  executed. 
General  Putnam  wrote  the  following  pithy  reply. 

"Sir, — Nathan  Palmer,  a  lieutenant  in  your  king's  service,  was 
taken  in  my  camp  as  a  spy- — he  was  tried  as  a  sjjij — he  was  con- 
demned as  a  spy — and  you  may  rest  assured,  sir,  he  shall  be  hanged 
as  a  spy.  "  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

"Israel  Putnam. 

"jHw  Excellency  Governor  Tryon. 

"P.  S.     Afternoon.     He  is  hangfed." 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

In  the  winter  of  1778,  the  Connecticut  troops,  "  who  had  been 
badly  fed,  badly  clothed,  and  worse  paid,  formed  the  design  of 
marching  to  Hartford,  where  the  general  assembly  was  then  in 
session,  and  demanding  redress.  General  Putnam,  hearing  that  the 
second  brigade  was  under  arms  for  this  purpose,  mounted  his  horse, 
galloped  to  the  cantonment,  and  addressed  them.  After  the  several 
regiments  had  received  the  general  as  he  rode  along  the  line,  with 
drums  beating  and  presented  arms,  the  sergeants  who  had  then  the 
command  brought  the  men  to  an  order,  in  which  position  they 
continued  while  he  was  speaking.  He  then  directed  them  to  shoul- 
der, march  to  their  regimental  parades,  and  lodge  arms ;  all  which 
they  executed  with  apparent  good  humor." 

About  the  middle  of  the  winter  of  1778,  while  General  Putnam 
was  on  a  visit  to  his  outpost  at  Horseneck,  he  found  Governor 
Tryon  advancing  upon  him  with  a  corps  of  fifteen  hundred  men. 
To  oppose  these.  General  Putnam  had  only  a  picquet  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  two  iron  field-pieces  without  horses  or 
drag-ropes.  He,  however,  planted  his  cannon  on  the  high  ground, 
and  retarded  their  approach  by  firing  several  times,  until,  perceiving 
the  horse  (supported  by  the  infantry)  about  to  charge,  he  ordered  the 
picquet  to  provide  for  their  safety  by  retiring  to  a  swamp  inaccessible 
to  horse,  and  secured  his  own  by  riding  down  the  steep  declivity  at 
the  church  upon  a  fall  trot.  This  hill  was  so  steep  where  he 
descended,  as  to  have  seventy  stone  steps,  for  the  accommodation  of 
foot  passengers.  Here  the  dragoons,  who  were  but  a  sword's  length 
from  him,  stopped  short  and  fired  at  him ;  and  before  they  could 
gain  the  valley,  by  going  round  the  hill,  he  was  far  beyond  their 
reach.  Without  any  other  injury  than  a  bullet-hole  in  his  beaver, 
he  continued  his  route  unmolested  to  Stamford,  where  he  collected 
some  militia,  and  in  turn  pursued  Governor  Tryon  and  his  party. 

In  December,  1779,  while  on  his  return  from  Connecticut  to  head 
quarters,  this  venerable  man  was  attacked  by  a  paralytic  affection, 
under  which  he  languished  till  the  29th  of  May,  1790,  when  his 
honorable  and  useful  life  was  brought  to  a  final  close,  at  Brooklyn, 
Connecticut. 


'  6-J-  -  -■■^'tf'-' 


t^TT  S-  F-  '^.^    ■^,  S?rFi  YQ  ^  ■ 


•■nriTfS'^'i?^!'; 


^  ^^/A^^^^^*-^^^ 


^. 


TIMOTHY     PICKERING. 


It  has  often  been  remarked  that  great  occasions  are  required  to 
produce  great  men, — it  would,  perhaps,  be  more  precisely  accurate 
to  say,  that  great  men  can  only  be  brought  into  striking  positions, 
and  presented  conspicuously  to  view,  on  great  occasions.  There  is, 
it  is  probable,  nearly  an  equal  proportion  of  intellectual  and  moral 
energy  diffused  throughout  each  generation,  and  existing  at  every 
period.  In  seasons  of  tranquillity  and  repose,  there  is  but  little  to 
distinguish  one  individual  from  another  beyond  the  range  of  private 
observation ;  but  when  circumstances  of  an  agitating  nature  are  in 
operation,  each  individual  catches  a  portion  of  the  general  excite- 
ment, and  distinct  direction  is  given  to  the  development  of  his 
character. 

We  find,  accordingly,  that  the  eventful  era  of  the  American  revo- 
lution was  fruitful  in  great  men.  They  sprang  up  in  every  quarter ; 
and  presented  in  the  qualities  of  their  minds  and  the  circumstances 
of  their  lives,  a  spectacle  of  infinite  variety.  In  this  numerous  and 
interesting  assemblage,  there  was  none  whose  history  and  character 
were  more  marked  by  strong,  impressive,  and  distinguishing  traits, 
than  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

Timothy  Pickering  was  born  in  Salem,  Massachusetts,  on  the 
17th  July,  1745.  The  family  had  emigrated  from  England  at  a  very 
early  period,  and  maintained  from  the  beginning,  as  it  does  to  this 
hour,  a  high  degree  of  respectability  and  influence.  The  name  of 
Pickering  was  distinguished  in  the  field  as  well  as  in  the  senate, 
throughout  the  contests  for  liberty  in  the  mother  country,  which 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  commonwealth ;  and  its  repre- 
sentatives in  America  have  always  been  found  among  the  most 
resolute  and  unwavering  advocates  of  the  same  cause,  from  the 
earliest  settlement  of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  until  its  triumph 
was  secured  by  the  successful  issue  of  the  revolution. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  became  a  member  of  Harvard  university 
in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and  received  the  honors  of  the  college 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

in  1763.  Upon  leaving  the  university,  and  entering  the  scenes  of 
active  life,  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  influences,  which 
attracted  his  attention  to  the  great  subjects  of  the  rights  of  the  people 
and  the  powers  of  the  government.  The  controversy  between  Great 
Britain  and  her  colonies  was  then  beginning  to  awaken  a  lively  and 
universal  interest,  and  his  ardent  and  energetic  mind  became  deeply 
engaged  in  its  progress,  and  intensely  alive  to  the  momentous  import- 
ance of  its  issue. 

The  same  fervent  zeal  for  liberty  and  truth,  which  led  him  to 
enter  with  such  spirit  into  the  political  questions  of  the  day,  seemed 
to  actuate  him  on  all  occasions,  daring  the  whole  course  of  his  life. 
In  the  political  movements  of  the  times,  he  was  engaged  in  the 
various  committees  and  meetings  of  the  whigs  in  Salem  and  its 
vicinity ;  and  his  powerful  pen  was  employed  in  drawing  up  their 
correspondence,  memorials,  remonstrances,  and  resolutions.  His 
productions  of  this  kind,  are  among  the  best  specimens  of  the  poli- 
tical literature  of  the  period. 

Before  the  war  broke  out,  he  was  elected  register  of  deeds  by  the 
citizens  of  the  county  of  Essex ;  and  was  appointed  by  the  provisional 
government  of  Massachusetts,  a  judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas. 
He  was  also  appointed  sole  judge  of  the  admiralty  court,  established 
in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  the  general  congress,  for  the  district  in 
which  he  resided,  until  after  the  commencement  of  hostilities ;  when 
he  resigned  it  for  the  more  urgent  and  perilous  duties  of  the  camp. 

His  clear  and  sagacious  mind  foresaw  that  the  controversy  would 
soon  and  inevitably  reach  that  point,  when  it  would  be  necessary  to 
put  it  to  the  issue  of  the  bayonet,  and  he  exerted  himself  to  prepare 
his  countrymen  for  the  emergency. 

As  colonel  of  the  Essex  militia,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  acquis! 
tion  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  military  tactics,  and  labored  to 
diffuse  it  among  his  subaltern  officers,  and  throughout  his  command. 
He  published  a  work  on  the  subject ;  and  in  a  spirit  in  harmony  with 
that  of  his  valiant  and  pious  puritan  ancestors,  and  congenial  with 
the  whole  history  of  his  own  life,  he  went  at  regular  and  frequent 
intervals  for  a  long  period,  (and  of  course  at  a  great  expense  of  time 
and  money,)  to  Marblehead,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  for  the  double 
purpose  of  disciplining  and  drilHng  the  inhabitants  in  the  art  of  war, 
to  defend  their  country  from  its  enemies ;  and  of  instructing  them  in 
sacred  music,  in  the  exercises  of  which  he  took  unabated  delio-ht  to 
the  day  of  his  death ;  that  in  their  religious  assemblies  they  might 
offer  a  more  acceptable  and  effectual  worship  to  Him  who  is  the  God 


TIMOTHY  PICKERING. 

of  Battles,  and  in  whose  arm  they  were  to  put  their  trust,  in  the 
unequal  and  awful  conflict  then  impending.  In  the  year  1774,  the 
"  Boston  Port  Bill"  was  passed  by  the  British  parliament ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  the  seat  of  the  colonial  government  was  removed  to 
Salem.  The  inhabitants  of  the  latter  place,  having  reason  to  suspect 
that  the  government  relied  upon  securing  their  support  by  thus  trans- 
ferring to  them  the  advantages  of  being  the  metropolis,  and  the  great 
commercial  emporium  of  the  province;  thought  it  their  duty  to 
undeceive  them  on  this  point,  as  soon  as  possible.  A  town  meeting 
was  called,  and  an  address  voted  to  General  Gage,  expressive  of  the 
noble  and  disinterested  sentiments  of  the  people,  and  concluding  with 
the  following  words:  "By  shutting  up  the  port  of  Boston,  some 
imagine  that  the  course  of  trade  might  be  turned  hither,  and  to  our 
benefit;  but  nature,  in  the  formation  of  our  harbor,  forbid  our 
becoming  rivals  in  commerce  with  that  convenient  mart ;  and  were 
it  otherwise,  we  must  be  dead  to  every  idea  of  justice,  lost  to 
all  feelings  of  humanity,  could  we  indulge  one  thought  to  seize 
on  wealth,  and  raise  our  fortunes  on  the  ruins  of  our  suiferina- 
neighbors'." 

This  address  was  written  by  Colonel  Pickering,  and  he  was 
instructed  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  deliver  it  in  person  to  the  governor. 

The  memorable  distinction  of  conducting  the  first  resistance  in 
arms  to  the  power  of  the  mother  country,  fell  to  the  lot  of  Colonel 
Pickering.  On  Sunday,  the  26th  February,  1775,  while  the  inha- 
bitants of  Salem  were  assembled  in  their  usual  places  of  worship,  an 
express  from  Marblehead  brought  intelligence,  that  a  regiment  of 
British  troops  were  landing  from  a  transport  ship,  and  preparing  to 
march  through  Salem,  to  take  possession  of  some  military  stores, 
deposited  in  the  interior  of  the  county.  The  people  were  instantly 
dismissed  from  their  churches,  and  assembled  on  the  drawbridge, 
with  such  means  of  resistance  as  were  at  hand,  where  they  awaited 
the  approach  of  Colonel  Leslie  and  his  regiment.  On  their  arrival 
at  the  bridge  the  draw  was  raised.  Colonel  Pickering  presented 
himself  on  the  opposite  side,  at  the  head  of  the  multitude,  and  a 
small  body  of  minute-men,  drawn  up  in  battle  array.  He  informed 
Colonel  Leslie  that  the  military  stores  he  had  come  to  seize,  were  the 
property  of  the  people,  and  that  they  would  not  be  surrendered  with- 
out a  struggle.  Colonel  Leslie  then  ordered  his  men  to  get  into  a 
large  gondola,  attached  to  the  wharf,  and  in  that  way  secure  a 
passage  over  the  narrow  stream.  In  a  moment.  Joseph  Sprague, 
Esq.,  the  owner  of  the  boat,  and  at  that  time,  the  major  of  the  Essex 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

regiment,  sprang  on  board,  beat  a  hole  through  her  side,  and  sunk 
her  to  the  bottom.  While  effecting  his  purpose  he  was  wounded  by 
the  bayonets  of  the  enemy,  thus  shedding  the  first  blood  of  the  revo- 
lution. While  these  events  were  taking  place,  the  parties  were  fast 
reaching  such  a  degree  of  exasperation,  as  would  have  brought  on  a 
general  and  sanguinary  conflict.  At  this  juncture,  the  Reverend  Mr. 
Barnard  interposed,  and  by  his  judicious  persuasions  prevented  the 
approaching  catastrophe.  He  represented  to  Colonel  Leslie  that  the 
day  was  so  far  spent,  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  reach  the  place 
were  the  stores  were  deposited,  before  night,  even  if  the  draw  were 
then  let  down,  and  that  such  was  the  determined  spirit  of  the  militia 
and  people  in  general,  that  a  passage  could  not  be  forced  without 
great  carnao-e  on  both  sides.  Colonel  Leslie  at  last  concluded  to  send 
a  message  to  Colonel  Pickering,  pledging  his  honor,  that  if  he 
would  let  him  pass  the  bridge,  so  that  it  might  appear  a  voluntary 
act  on  his  part,  he  would  abandon  the  attempt  to  seize  the  stores,  and 
immediately  after  passing  the  bridge,  turn  back  again  towards  Mar- 
blehead.  Colonel  Pickering  ordered  his  armed  men,  and  the 
assembled  multitude,  to  arrange  themselves  on  both  sides  of  the  road, 
facing  inwards,  the  draw  was  let  down,  the  British  regiment  marched 
through  the  silent  ranks  of  the  patriots,  advanced  a  few  rods  beyond 
the  bridge,  countermarched,  returned  with  a  quick  step  to  Marble- 
head,  reembarked,  and  set  sail  from  the  harbor  that  night. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  of  the  same  year,  the  war  began  at  Lexington 
and  Concord.  While  transacting  business  in  his  office  as  register  of 
deeds.  Colonel  Pickering  received  information  through  a  militia 
officer  of  Danvers,  the  town  adjacent  to  Salem  on  the  road  to  Lex- 
ington, of  the  passage  of  the  British  troops  towards  Concord.  He 
instantly  despatched  an  order  to  the  Danvers  company  to  march 
towards  the  scene  of  the  expected  conflict;  and  called  together  as 
many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Salem,  as  he  could  collect  in  the  streets. 
They  were  of  opinion,  that  as  the  day  was  then  so  far  advanced,  and 
the  distance  so  great,  it  would  not  be  possible  for  them  to  render  any 
essential  service  on  the  occasion.  It  was,  however,  concluded,  that 
it  would  be  best  to  commence  the  march,  if  for  no  other  reason,  at 
least  to  give  evidence  of  their  disposition  to  encourage,  and  if  possible, 
aid  their  brethren  who  were  nearer  the  scene  of  action,  in  defending 
their  property  from  violence  and  their  soil  from  invasion.  Colonel 
Pickering  accordingly  led  them  on,  and,  after  a  rapid  and  fatiguing 
march  of  more  than  twenty  miles,  arrived  at  the  close  of  the  day, 
just  in  time  to  witness  the  retreat  of  the  British  through  Charleston. 


TIMOTHY  PICKERING. 

In  the  year  1776,  five  thousand  men  were  called  for  from  Massa- 
chusetts, to  recruit  the  army,  of  which  number  seven  hundred  was 
the  portion  allotted  to  Essex  county.  Colonel  Pickering  assembled 
his  reg-iment  within  the  walls  of  the  First  Church  in  Salem,  made 
known  the  dangers  and  the  wants  of  the  country,  exhorted  his  men 
to  offer  their  services  to  the  common  cause,  and  at  the  close  of  his 
address,  stepped  forward  as  a  volunteer.  His  example  was  quickly 
followed,  and  he  soon  appeared  at  the  head  of  a  regiment,  at  the 
quarters  of  the  commander-in-chief,  in  New  Jersey,  who,  with  his 
usual  discernment,  selected  him  for  the  office  of  adjutant  general ; 
and  he  continued  in  this  and  other  stations,  closely  attached  to  the 
person  of  Washington,  and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  confidence, 
through  all  the  perils  and  vicissitudes  of  the  war,  and  the  equally 
trying  scenes  of  his  administration  of  the  government  to  the  very 
close  of  his  pubhc  life.  Colonel  Pickering  was  elected  by  congress 
a  member  of  the  "  Continental  Board  of  War ;"  and  when  General 
Greene  resigned  the  highly  important  post  of  quarter-master  general, 
he  was  appointed  his  successor,  at  the  suggestion  of  Roger  Sherman. 
At  the  end  of  the  war,  he  fixed  his  residence  in  Philadelphia,  and 
was  soon  after  deputed  by  the  government  of  Pennsylvania,  to  visit 
their  remote  interior  settlements,  for  the  purpose  of  adjusting  a  violent 
and  dangerous  controversy,  occasioned  by  the  claims  of  certain 
emigrants  from  Connecticut.  This  commission  called  for  all  his 
courage  and  resolution,  and  he  discharged  his  duty  with  great  firm- 
ness and  success.  As  illustrative  of  the  angry  and  lawless  passions 
to  which  he  was  exposed,  the  following  facts  deserve  to  be  related : 
his  residence  was  at  this  time  in  the  celebrated  "  Vale  of  Wyoming," 
near  what  is  now  Wilkesbarre.  In  the  month  of  June,  1788,  a  gang 
of  ruffians,  dressed  in  disguise,  with  their  faces  painted  black,  tore 
him  from  his  bed  at  midnight,  pinioned  his  arms,  and  conveyed  him 
into  the  depths  of  the  forest ;  there  they  subjected  him  to  privation 
and  ill  treatment  in  a  great  variety  of  forms,  fastened  heavy  chains 
upon  his  limbs,  and  repeatedly  threatened  to  take  his  life.  After 
exhausting  all  their  arts  and  efforts,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  extort 
promises,  in  opposition  to  what  he  deemed  his  duty  in  the  discharge 
of  the  trust  reposed  in  him,  they  concluded  not  to  dip  their  hands  in 
his  blood,  and  released  him  from  his  confinement.  At  the  end  of 
twenty  days  from  his  sudden  abduction,  he  reappeared  in  the  midst 
of  his  family,  who  had  given  up  all  expectation  of  ever  again  seeing 
him  alive.  So  much  was  he  altered  by  the  sufferings  and  hardships 
he  liad  endured,  that  his  children  fled  from  his  presence,  affrighted 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

by  his  haggard,  unshaven  appearance,  and  his  wife  looked  upon  him 
with  consternation,  as  upon  an  apparition. 

Colonel  Pickering  was  a  member  of  the  convention  called  in 
1790,  to  revise  the  constitution  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
maintained  a  highly  respectable  standing  in  that  distinguished  body. 
He  was  particularly  active  in  promoting  the  cause  of  education,  and 
procured  the  insertion  of  the  following  article  :  "  The  legislature 
shall,  as  soon  as  conveniently  may  be,  provide  by  law  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  schools  throughout  the  state,  in  such  manner  that  the 
poor  may  be  taught  gratis." 

In  1791,  President  Washington  appointed  him  postmaster  general, 
which  office  he  held  until  the  close  of  the  year  1794.  About  this 
time,  he  was  charged  with  several  very  important  negotiations  with 
the  Indians,  and  was  sole  agent  to  treat  with  those  tribes,  collectively 
known  as  the  "  Six  Nations."  On  the  resignation  of  General  Knox, 
in  1794,  he  was  made  secretary  of  war,  and  in  1795,  he  was  appointed 
by  Washington  his  secretary  of  state ;  this  office  he  continued  to 
hold  until  the  month  of  May,  1800,  when  he  was  removed  by  Presi- 
dent John  Adams. 

Upon  leaving  the  department  of  state,  he  returned  to  his  farm  in 
Wyoming  county,  Pennsylvania,  then  near  the  borders  of  settlement, 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  toilsome  labors  of  felling  the  forest,  and 
cultivating  the  untilled  soil.  From  this  humble  seclusion,  he  was 
allured  by  his  friends  in  Massachusetts,  who  prevailed  upon  him  to 
return  to  his  native  state.  By  their  spontaneous  liberality,  he  was 
enabled  to  discharge  a  considerable  debt  that  had  accumulated  while 
he  was  engaged  in  the  service  of  his  country ;  and  to  purchase  a 
small  farm  in  the  county  of  Essex,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate 
and  superintend  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  elected  to  the 
senate  of  the  United  States  by  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  in 
1803,  and  again  in  1805.  At  the  expiration  of  his  second  term  in 
1811,  he  turned  his  attention  exclusively  to  agriculture.  Soon  after, 
he  was  again  drawn  into  public  life,  as  a  member  of  the  "  Executive 
Council ;"  and  also,  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  War,  appointed  in 
Massachusetts,  to  protect  the  state  from  invasion.  In  1814,  he  was 
elected  to  the  house  of  representatives  of  the  United  States  from  the 
district  in  which  he  resided,  and  foially  retired  from  public  office  in 
1817.  He  died  in  Salem,  the  place  of  his  residence,  on  the  29th  of 
January,  1829.  Agricultural  pursuits,  an  extensive  literary  and 
pohtical  correspondence,  the  conversation  and  company  of  his  friends, 
the  affairs  and  interests  of  liis  immediate  neighborhood,  and  such 


TIMOTHY  PICKERING. 

objects  of  a  more  general  nature,  as  would  be  likely  to  engage  the 
attention  of  a  liberal  and  active  mind,  and  a  generous  and  philan- 
thropic heart,  gave  employment  and  vivacity  to  his  last  years.  His 
old  age,  spent  in  the  tranquil  and  undisturbed  society  of  his  family 
and  relatives,  was  such  as  might  well  be  desired  by  the  patriot  and 
Christian.  He  buried  his  wife  not  long  before  his  own  departure. 
She  united  all  that  is  lovely,  with  all  that  is  venerable,  and  was  every 
way  worthy  of  being  the  companion  of  his  life,  and  the  sharer  of  his 
trials  and  his  honors.  His  printed  writings  on  agricultural,  political, 
and  miscellaneous  subjects,  are  numerous ;  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  was  thoroughly  preparing  himself,  to  give  to  the  public,  a 
biography  of  his  friend,  Alexander  Hamilton  ;  a  task  undertaken  at 
the  request  of  the  family  of  that  great  man. 

Colonel  Pickering  inherited  from  his  ancestors  a  sound  and 
vigorous  constitution,  and  enjoyed  through  life  an  uncommon  degree 
of  health  and  strength.  His  frame  was  large  and  athletic,  and  his 
figure,  countenance,  and  manners,  combined  in  suggesting  the  noble 
energy  and  Roman  fortitude  of  his  character  to  every  beholder.  His 
death,  which  occurred  after  a  brief  illness,  was  occasioned  by  a 
disease  in  the  larger  blood  vessels  near  the  heart ;  and  although  then 
in  his  eighty-fourth  year,  he  had  experienced  none  of  the  infirmities, 
either  physical  or  mental,  usually  attendant  upon  old  age. 

The  qualities  of  his  mind  corresponded  with  those  of  his  body. 
To  whatever  subject  his  thoughts  were  turned,  the  most  striking 
views  of  which  it  was  susceptible  were  instantly  presented.  Both 
in  speaking  and  writing,  his  style  was  unrivalled  for  the  simplicity, 
closeness,  and  strength  of  its  structure,  and  the  purity  and  correct- 
ness of  its  language.  But  it  was  in  his  conversational  powers  that 
he  particularly  excelled  his  contemporaries.  It  was  the  enviable 
privilege  of  his  friends,  to  contemplate  in  his  admirable  descriptions 
of  men,  manners,  and  transactions,  a  representation  of  the  scenes  and 
circumstances  of  his  long  and  eventful  life,  almost  as  vivid  and 
distinct,  as  they  could  have  been  to  an  actual,  original  observer. 
The  integrity  of  his  heart  and  life  were  acknowledged  and  admired, 
even  by  his  opponents.  From  childhood  to  old  age,  temperance, 
industry,  sincerity,  benevolence,  honor,  and  truth,  guided  his  conduct. 
Although  be  had  been  to  a  very  great  extent  exposed  to  the  allure- 
ment of  camps  and  courts,  neither  a  stain  nor  a  shadow  was  ever 
cast  upon  the  purity  of  his  heart,  the  innocence  of  his  life,  or  the 
simplicity  of  his  manners.  Well  did  he  deserve  the  tribute  which 
was  drawn  from  the  late  John  Randolph  on  the  floor  of  congress : 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

"  No  man  in  the  United  States,"  said  that  extraordinary  individual, 
"  has  been  more  misunderstood,  no  man  more  reviled,  than  Alexander 
Hamilton,  unless,  perhaps,  the  venerable  member  from  Massachu- 
setts, who  generally  sits  in  that  seat,  and  whom,  whatever  may 
be  said  of  him,  all  will  allow  to  be  an  honest  man.  The  other 
day,  when  on  the  compensation  question,  he  was  speaking  of  his 
own  situation ;  when  his  voice  faltered  and  his  eyes  filled  at  the 
mention  of  his  poverty  ;  I  thought  I  would  have  given  the  riches  of 
Dives  himself  for  his  feelings  at  the  moment — for  his  poverty  was 
not  the  consequence  of  idleness,  or  extravagance,  or  luxury,  nor  of 
the  gambling  spirit  of  speculation  :  it  was  an  honorable  poverty  after 
a  life  spent  in  laborious  service,  and  in  the  highest  ofiices  of  trust 
under  government,  during  the  war  of  independence,  as  well  as  under 
the  present  constitution." 

Colonel  Pickering  was  a  sincere,  thorough,  and  consistent  repub- 
lican, in  his  principles,  habits,  feelings,  and  manners.  He  appre- 
ciated the  value  of  his  own  rights,  and  was  ever  as  ready  to  protect 
the  rights  of  others  as  his  own.  Reason  and  revelation  both  taught 
him,  that  we  are  all  of  one  blood,  brethren  and  equals.  The  Bible 
was  the  object  of  his  habitual  study  and  meditation,  and  the  religion 
which  he  had  examined  and  professed  in  his  early  manhood,  received 
his  obedience  and  support  through  a  long  life,  and  was  found  an  all- 
sufficient  source  of  comfort,  resignation,  peace,  and  satisfaction,  on 
the  bed  of  death.  The  memory  and  example  of  such  a  man  are  among 
the  most  precious  possessions  of  his  countrymen.  His  name  will  be 
more  and  more  honored,  as  the  lapse  of  time  removes  him  from  the 
shadow  of  those  clouds  of  error,  prejudice,  and  passion,  which  always 
encompass  the  passing  generation.  Even  now,  the  youthful  scholar, 
as  he  gazes  on  the  noble  features  of  Timothy  Pickering,  while 
exploring  the  history  of  the  American  revolution,  proudly  acknow- 
ledges and  ardently  admires  an  assemblage  of  private  and  civic 
virtues,  which  Plutarch  would  have  rejoiced  to  commemorate.  As 
he  thinks  of  the  venerable  patriot  bending  over  his  plough,  and 
literally  earning  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  face ;  the  image  of 
Cincinnatus,  the  great  Roman,  rises  before  him ;  and  when  he  con- 
siders his  unsullied  and  unassailable  integrity,  truth,  and  justice, 
Aristides,  the  good  Athenian,  seems  to  be  in  his  presence.  But  when 
he  contemplates  in  his  single  character,  their  virtues  combined,  and 
the  whole  adorned,  illuminated,  and  hallowed,  by  the  bright  and 
heavenly  radiance  of  the  Gospel,  he  exclaims,  "  Cedite  Romani****** 
Cedite  Graii." 


Ln  g.    Dv  rt.H-r/tJraT.i(l 


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Eniered    accariiingtothe  act  o£  Congisssin.  Lheyearl833  by  JamesHamngintlie  olatks  oflxce  of  th« 
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ISAAC      SHELBY. 


General  Evan  Shelby,  the  father  of  the  late  Governor  Shelby, 
when  a  small  lad,  emigrated  from  Wales  with  his  father,  and  settled 
in  the  then  province  of  Maryland,  near  the  North  mountain,  about  a 
century  ago.  He  possessed  a  strong  mind  and  an  iron  constitution 
of  body,  with  great  perseverance  and  unshaken  courage.  His  skill 
as  a  hunter  and  woodsman  induced  his  appointment  as  captain  of  a 
company  of  rangers,  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  which  com- 
menced in  1754 ;  during  which  year  he  made  several  successful 
expeditions  into  the  Alleghany  mountains.  He  was  afterwards 
appointed  a  captain  in  the  provincial  army  destined  for  the  reduction 
of  Fort  Du  Q,uesne,  now  Pittsburg.  He  fought  many  severe  battles 
in  what  is  called  Braddock's  war.  He  laid  out  the  old  Pennsylvania 
road  across  the  Alleghany  mountain,  and  led  the  advance  of  the 
army  under  General  Forbes,  which  took  possession  of  Fort  Du 
duesne  in  1758.  His  gallantry  was  particularly  noticed  in  the 
battle  fought  at  Loyal  Hanning,  now  Bedford,  Pennsylvania.  In 
1772  he  removed  to  the  Western  Waters,  and  commanded  a  company 
in  1774  in  the  campaign,  under  Lewis  and  Dunmore,  against  the 
Indians  on  the  Scioto  river.  He  was  in  the  sanguinary  battle  of 
10th  October,  1774,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kenhawa,  and  near  the 
close  of  the  action  was  the  commanding  officer,  Colonels  Lewis, 
Fleming,  and  Field,  being  killed  or  disabled.  The  result  gave 
peace  to  the  frontier  at  the  critical  period  of  the  colonies  venturing 
into  the  eventful  contest  of  the  revolution,  and  deterred  the  Indians 
from  uniting  with  the  British  until  1776  —  in  that  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Henry,  of  Virginia,  a  major  in  the  army  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Christian  against  the  Cherokees,  which  destroyed 
their  towns  and  crops.  In  1777  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  sundry 
garrisons  posted  on  the  frontier  of  Virginia,  and  a  commissioner, 
with  Colonels  Preston  and  Christian,  to  hold  a  treaty  with  this  tribe 
at  the  Long  Island  of  the  Holston.  In  1779  he  led  a  strong  expedition 
against  the  Chicamauga  Indians,  on  the  Tennessee  river    which 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

resulted  in  the  destruction  of  their  towns  and  provisions  ;  and  which, 
occurring  at  the  precise  period  when  General  George  Rogers  Clark 
captured  Governor  Hamilton  at  Vincennes,  secured  a  temporary  peace 
toTennessee  and  Kentucky,  afforded  time  for  the  introduction  of  popu- 
lation and  the  opening  of  land  offices,  and  gave  a  permanence  to  the 
settlements  of  Kentucky  and  Cumberland,  that  never  could  be  broken 
up  by  British  influence,  aided  by  savage  intrigue.  By  the  extension 
of  the  boundary  line  between  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  in  1779, 
he  was  included  in  the  latter  state,  and  was  appointed  by  the 
governor  a  brigadier  general,  the  first  officer  of  that  grade  on  the 
Western  Waters. 

Isaac  Shelby,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  born  on  the  ele- 
venth day  of  December,  1750,  near  to  the  North  mountain,  in  the 
province  of  Maryland,  where  his  father  and  grandfather  settled  after 
their  arrival  in  America  from  Wales.  In  that  early  settlement  of  the 
country,  which  was  annoyed  during  the  period  of  his  youth  by  Indian 
wars,  he  obtained  only  the  elements  of  a  plain  English  education ; 
but,  like  his  father,  born  with  a  strong  constitution,  capable  of  bearing 
great  privations  and  fatigue,  he  was  brought  up  to  the  use  of  arms 
and  the  pursuit  of  game. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Western 
Virginia,  beyond  the  Alleghany  mountains,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
business  of  feeding  and  attending  to  herds  of  cattle  in  the  extensive 
natural  range  which  distinguished  that  section  of  country.  He  was 
a  lieutenant  in  the  company  of  his  father  in  the  memorable  battle 
fought  10th  October,  1774,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kenhawa,  already 
mentioned,  and,  at  the  close  of  that  campaign,  was  appointed  by  Lord 
Dunmore  to  be  second  in  command  of  a  garrison,  ordered  to  be 
erected  on  the  ground  where  this  battle  was  fought.  This  was, 
probably,  the  most  severely  contested  conflict  ever  maintained  with 
the  north-western  Indians  ;  the  action  continued  from  sunrise  to 
sunsetting,  and  the  ground,  for  half  a  mile  along  the  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  was  alternately  occupied  by  each  of  the  parties  in  the  course 
of  the  day.  So  sanguinary  was  the  contest,  that  blood  was  found 
on  each  of  the  trees  behind  which  the  parties  were  posted.  The 
Indians,  under  the  celebrated  chief.  Cornstalk,  abandoned  the  ground 
under  cover  of  the  night. 

Lieutenant  Shelby  continued  in  this  garrison  until  it  was  dis- 
banded, in  July,  1775,  by  order  of  Governor  Dunmore,  who  was 
apprehensive  it  might  be  held  for  the  benefit  of  the  rebel  authorities. 
He  proceeded  immediately  to  Kentucky,  and  was  employed  as  a 


ISAAC  SHELBY. 

surveyor  under  Henderson  &  Co.,  who  styled  themselves  proprietors 
of  the  country,  and  who  had  established  a  regular  land  office  under 
their  purchase  from  the  Cherokees.  He  resided  in  the  then  wilder- 
ness of  Kentucky  for  nearly  twelve  months,  when,  from  continued 
exposure  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and  being  without  bread 
or  salt,  his  health  was  impaired,  and  he  returned  home. 

In  July,  1776,  during  his  absence  from  home,  he  was  appointed 
captain  of  a  minute  company  by  the  committee  of  safety  in  Vir- 
ginia. In  the  year  1777,  he  was  appointed,  by  Governor  Henry,  a 
commissary  of  supplies  for  an  extensive  body  of  militia,  posted  at 
different  garrisons  to  guard  the  frontier  settlements,  and  for  a  treaty 
to  be  held  at  the  Long  Island  of  Holston  river,  with  the  Cherokee 
tribe  of  Indians.  These  supplies  could  not  have  been  obtained 
nearer  than  Staunton,  Va.,  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  ;  but 
by  the  most  indefatigable  perseverance,  (one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
traits  of  his  character,)  he  accomplished  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
country. 

In  1778,  he  was  engaged  in  the  commissary  department,  providing 
supplies  for  the  continental  army,  and  for  an  expedition,  by  the  way 
of  Pittsburg,  against  the  north-western  Indians.  In  the  early  part 
of  1779,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Henry  to  furnish  supplies 
for  the  campaign  against  the  Chicamauga  Indians,  which  he  effected 
upon  his  own  individual  credit.  In  the  spring  of  that  year,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature  from  Washington  county, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  was  commissioned  a  major,  by  Governor 
Jefferson,  in  the  escort  of  guards  to  the  commissioners  for  extending 
the  boundary  line  between  that  state  and  the  state  of  North  Carolina. 
By  the  extension  of  that  line,  his  residence  was  found  to  be  within 
the  limits  of  the  latter  state,  and  shortly  afterwards,  he  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Caswell  a  colonel  of  the  new  county  of  Sullivan,  esta- 
blished in  consequence  of  the  additional  territory  acquired  by  the 
running  of  that  line. 

In  the  summer  of  1780,  Colonel  Shelby  was  in  Kentucky,  locating 
and  securing  those  lands  which  he  had  five  years  previously  marked 
out  and  improved  for  himself,  when  the  intelligence  of  the  surrender 
of  Charleston,  and  the  loss  of  the  army,  reached  that  country.  He 
returned  home  in  July  of  that  year,  determined  to  enter  the  service 
of  his  country,  and  remain  in  it  until  her  independence  should  be 
secured.  He  could  not  continue  to  be  a  cool  spectator  of  a  contest  in 
which  the  dearest  rights  and  interests  of  his  country  were  involved. 
On  his  arrival  in  Sullivan,  he  found  a  requisition  from  General 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Charles  M'Dowell,  requesting  him  to  furnish  all  the  aid  in  his  power 
to  check  the  enemy,  who  had  overrun  the  two  Southern  states,  and 
were  on  the  borders  of  North  Carolina.  Colonel  Shelby  assembled 
the  militia  of  his  county,  called  upon  them  to  volunteer  their  services 
for  a  short  time  on  that  interesting  occasion,  and  marched,  in  a  few 
days,  with  three  hundred  mounted  riflemen,  across  the  Alleghany 
mountains. 

In  a  short  time  after  his  arrival  at  M'DowelFs  camp,  near  the 
Cherokee  ford  of  Broad  river,  Colonel  Shelby,  Lieutenant-colonels 
Sevier  and  Clarke,  the  latter  a  refugee  officer  from  Georgia,  were 
detached  with  six  hundred  men  to  surprise  a  post  of  the  enemy  in 
front,  on  the  waters  of  the  Pacolet  river.     It  was  a  strong  fort,  sur- 
rounded by  abattis,  built  in  the   Cherokee  war,  and  commanded 
by  that  distinguished  loyalist,  Captain   Patrick   Moore.      On   the 
second  summons  to  surrender,  after  the  Americans  had  suri-ounded 
the  post  within  musket  shot.  Captain  Moore  surrendered  the  garrison 
with  one  British  sergeant  major,  ninety-three  loyalists,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  My  stand  of  arms,  loaded  with  ball  and  buck-shot,  and  so 
arranged  at  the  port-holes  as  to  have  repulsed  double  the  number  of 
the  American  detachment.    Shortly  after  this  affair.  Colonels  Shelby 
and  Clarke  were  detached,  with  six  hundred  mounted  men,  to  watch 
the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and,  if  possible,  cut  up  his  foraging 
parties.     Ferguson,  who  commanded  the  enemy,  about  twenty-five 
hundred  strong,  composed  of  British  and  tories,  with  a  small  squad- 
ron of  British  horse,  was  an  officer  of  great  enterprise,  and  although 
only  a  major  in  the  British  line,  was  a  brigadier  general  in  the  royal 
militia  establishment,  made  by  the  enemy  after  he  had  overrun  South 
Carolina,  and  was  esteemed  the  most  distinguished  partisan  officer 
in  the  British  army.     He  made  several  attempts  to  surprise  Colonel 
Shelby,  but  his  designs  were  baffled.     On  the  first  of  August,  how- 
ever, his  advance,  about  six  or  seven  hundred  strong,  came  up  with 
the  American  commander  at  a  place  he  had  chosen  for  battle,  called 
Cedar  Spring,  where  a  sharp  conflict  ensued  for  half  an  hour,  when 
Ferguson  approached  with  his  whole  force.     The  Americans  then 
retreated,  carrying  off  the  field  fifty  prisoners,  mostly  British,  inclu- 
ding two  officers.     The  enemy  made  great  efforts,  for  five  miles,  to 
regain  the  prisoners ;   but  the  American  commander,  by  forming 
frequently  on  the  most  advantageous   ground   to   give  battle,  so 
retarded  the  pursuit,  that  the  prisoners  were  placed  beyond  their 
reach.     The  American  loss  was  ten  or  twelve  killed  and  wounded. 
It  was  in  the  severest  part  of  this  action,  that  Colonel  Shelby's 


ISAAC   SHELBY. 

attention  was  arrested  by  the  heroic  conduct  of  Colonel  Clarke.  He 
often  mentioned  the  circumstance  of  his  ceasing  in  the  midst  of  the 
battle,  to  look  with  astonishment  and  admiration  at  Clarke  fighting. 
General  M' Do  well  having  received  information  that  five  or  six 
hundred  tories  were  encamped  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Enoree,  about  forty  miles  distant,  again  detached  Colonels 
Shelby,  Clarke,  and  Williams  of  South  Carolina,  with  about  seven 
hundred  horsemen,  to  surprise  and  disperse  them.  Major  Ferguson, 
with  his  whole  force,  occupied  a  position  immediately  on  the  route. 
The  American  commanders  took  up  their  line  of  march  from  Smith's 
ford  of  Broad  river,  just  before  sundown,  on  the  evening  of  the  18th 
of  August,  1780,  continued  through  the  woods  until  dark,  and  then 
pursued  a  road,  leaving  Ferguson's  camp  about  three  miles  to  the 
left.  They  rode  very  hard  all  night,  frequently  on  a  gallop,  and  just 
at  the  dawn  of  day,  about  a  half  a  mile  from  the  enemy's  camp,  met 
a  strong  patrol  party.  A  short  skirmish  ensued,  and  several  of  them 
were  killed.  At  that  juncture,  a  countryman,  living  just  at  hand, 
came  up  and  informed  that  the  enemy  had  been  reinforced  the 
evening  before  with  six  hundred  regular  troops,  (the  Queen's  Ameri- 
can regiment,  from  New  York,)  under  Colonel  Innes,  destined  to 
reinforce  Ferguson's  army.  The  circumstances  attending  the  infor- 
mation were  so  minute,  that  no  doubt  was  entertained  of  ita  truth. 
To  march  on  and  attack  the  enemy  then  seemed  to  be  improper  ; 
fatigued  and  exhausted  as  were  the  Americans  and  their  horses,  to 
attempt  an  escape  was  impossible.  They  instantly  determined  to 
form  a  breastwork  of  old  logs  and  brush,  and  make  the  best  defence 
in  their  power.  Captain  Inman  was  sent  out  with  twenty-five  men 
to  meet  the  enemy,  and  skirmish  with  them  as  soon  as  tliey  crossed 
the  Enoree  river.  The  sound  of  their  drums  and  bugle  horns  soon 
announced  their  movements.  Captain  Inman  was  ordered  to  fire 
upon  them  and  retreat,  according  to  his  own  discretion.  This  stra- 
tagem (which  was  the  suggestion  of  the  captain  himself)  drew  the 
enemy  out  in  disorder,  supposing  they  had  forced  the  whole  party ; 
and  when  they  came  up  within  seventy  yards,  a  most  destructive 
fire  commenced  from  the  American  riflemen,  who  were  concealed 
behind  the  breastworic  of  logs.  It  was  an  hour  before  the  enemy 
could  force  the  riflemen  from  (heir  slender  breastwork  ;  and  just  as 
they  began  to  give  way  in  some  parts,  Colonel  Innes  was  wounded, 
and  all  the  Britisli  officers,  except  a  subaltern,  being  previously  killed 
or  wounded,  and  Captain  Hawsey,  a  noted  leader  among  the  tories, 
beino-  shot  down,  the  whole  of  the  enemy's  line  commenced  a  retreat. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

The  Americans  pursued  them  closely,  and  beat  them  across  the  river. 
In  this  pursuit,  Captain  Inman  was  killed,  bravely  fighting  the 
enemy  hand  to  hand.  Colonel  Shelby  commanded  the  right  wing, 
Colonel  Clarke  the  left,  and  Colonel  Williams  the  centre.  According 
to  M'Call's  History  of  Georgia,  the  only  work  in  which  this  battle  is 
noticed,  the  British  loss  is  stated  to  be  sixty-three  killed  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  wounded  and  taken — the  American  loss  to  be  four 
killed  and  nine  wounded.  Amongst  the  former  Captain  Inman,  and 
amongst  the  latter,  Colonel  Clarke  and  Captain  Clarke. 

The  Americans  returned  to  their  horses,  and  mounted  with  a 
determination  to  be  before  night  at  Ninety-Six,  at  that  time  a  weak 
British  post,  distant  only  thirty  miles.  At  that  moment,  an  express 
from  General  M'Dowell  came  up  in  great  haste,  with  a  short  letter 
in  his ,  hand  from  Governor  Caswell,  dated  on  the  battle  ground, 
apprizing  M'Dowell  of  the  defeat  of  the  American  grand  army  under 
General  Gates,  on  the  16th,  near  Camden,  and  advising  him  to  get 
out  of  the  way,  as  the  enemy  would,  no  doubt,  endeavor  to  improve 
their  victory  to  the  greatest  advantage,  by  destroying  all  the  small 
corps  of  the  American  army.  It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that 
Colonel  Shelby  knew  Governor  Caswell's  handwriting,  and  what 
reliance  to  place  upon  it ;  but  it  was  a  difficult  task  to  avoid  the 
enemy  in  his  rear,  his  troops  and  their  horses  being  fatigued,  and 
encumbered  with  a  large  number  of  British  prisoners.  These,  how- 
ever, were  immediately  distributed  amongst  the  companies,  so  as  to 
make  one  to  every  three  men,  who  carried  them  alternately  on  horse- 
back, directly  towards  the  mountains.  The  Americans  continued 
their  march  all  that  day  and  night,  and  the  next  day  until  late  in 
the  evening,  without  even  halting  to  refresh.  This  long  and  rapid 
march  saved  them  ;  as  they  were  pursued,  until  late  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day  after  the  action,  by  a  strong  detachment  from  Fer- 
guson's army.  Colonel  Shelby,  after  seeing  the  party  and  prisoners 
out  of  danger,  retreated  to  the  Western  Waters  with  his  followers, 
and  left  the  prisoners  in  charge  of  Colonels  Clarke  and  Williams,  to 
convey  them  to  some  point  of  security  in  Virginia ;  for  at  that 
moment  there  was  not  the  appearance  of  a  corps  of  Americans  south 
of  that  state.  The  panic  which  followed  the  defeat  of  Gates  and 
of  Sumpter,  induced  the  corps  of  M'Dowell's  army  to  disperse,  some 
to  the  west  and  some  to  the  north.  The  brilliancy  of  this  afiair  was 
obscured,  as  indeed  were  all  the  minor  incidents  of  the  previous  war, 
by  the  deep  gloom  which  overspread  the  public  mind  after  the  disas- 
trous defeat  of  General  Gates. 


ISAAC  SHELBY. 

Ferguson  was  so  solicitous  to  recapture  the  prisoners,  and  to  check 
these  daring  adventures  of  the  mountaineers,  that  he  made  a  stre- 
nuous effort  with  his  main  body  to  intercept  them ;  but  faihng  of  his 
object,  he  took  post  at  a  place  called  Gilbert  town,  from  whence  he 
sent  the  most  threatening  messages  by  paroled  prisoners  to  the  officers 
west  of  the  mountains,  proclaiming  devastation  to  their  country  if 
they  did  not  cease  their  opposition  to  the  British  government. 

This  was  the  most  disastrous  and  critical  period  of  the  revolution- 
ary war,  to  the  South — no  one  could  see  whence  a  force  could  be 
raised  to  check  the  enemy  in  their  progress  to  subjugate  this  portion 
of  the  continent.  Cornwallis,  with  the  main  army,  was  posted  at 
Charlotte  town,  in  North  Carolina,  and  Ferguson,  with  three  thou- 
sand, at  Gilbert  town,  while  many  of  the  best  friends  of  the  American 
government,  despairing  of  the  freedom  and  independence  of  Ame- 
rica, took  protection  under  the  British  standard.  At  this  gloomy 
moment,  Colonel  Shelby  proposed  to  Colonels  Sevier  and  Campbell, 
to  raise  a  force  from  their  several  counties,  march  hastily  through 
the  mountains,  and  attack  and  surprise  Ferguson  in  the  night. 
Accordingly,  they  collected  with  their  followers,  about  one  thousand 
strong,  on  Doe  Run,  in  the  spurs  of  the  Alleghany,  on  the  25th  of 
September,  1780,  and  the  next  day  commenced  their  march,  when 
it  was  discovered  that  three  of  Colonel  Sevier's  men  had  deserted  to 
the  enemy.  This  disconcerted  their  first  design  ;  and  induced  them 
to  turn  to  the  left,  gain  his  front,  and  act  as  events  might  suggest. 
They  travelled  through  mountains  almost  inaccessible  to  horsemen. 
As  soon  as  they  entered  the  level  country,  they  met  with  Colonel 
Cleveland  with  three  hundred  men,  and  with  Colonels  Williams, 
Lacy,  and  other  refugee  officers,  who  had  heard  of  Cleveland's 
advance,  by  which  three  hundred  more  were  added  to  the  force  of 
the  mountaineers.  They  now  considered  themselves  to  be  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  encounter  Ferguson  ;  but  being  rather  a  confused 
mass,  without  any  head,  it  was  proposed  by  Colonel  Shelby,  in  a 
council  of  officers,  and  agreed  to,  that  Colonel  Campbell,  of  the  Vir- 
ginia regiment,  an  officer  of  enterprise,  patriotism,  and  good  sense, 
should  be  appointed  to  the  command ;  and  having  determined  to 
pursue  Ferguson  with  all  practicable  dispatch,  two  nights  before  the 
action  they  selected  the  best  horses  and  rifles,  and  at  the  dawn  of  day 
commenced  their  march  with  nine  hundred  and  ten  expert  marks- 
men. As  Ferguson  was  their  object,  they  would  not  be  diverted 
from  the  main  point  by  any  collection  of  tories  in  the  vicinity  of  their 
route.      They  pursued  him  for  the  last  thirty-six  hours  without 


«  NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

alighting  from  their  horses  to  refresh  but  once,  at  the  Cowpens  for 
an  hour,  ahhough  the  day  of  the  action  was  so  extremely  wet,  that 
the  men  could  only  keep  their  guns  dry  by  wrapping  their  bags, 
blankets,  and  hunting  shirts  around  the  locks,  which  exposed  their 
bodies  to  a  heavy  and  incessant  rain  during  the  pursuit. 

By  the  order  of  march  and  of  battle.  Colonel  Campbell's  regiment 
formed  the  right,  and  Colonel  Shelby's  regiment  the  left  column 
in  the  centre  :  the  right  wing  was  composed  of  Sevier's  regiment. 
Major  Winston's  and  M'Dowell's  battalions,  conmianded  by  Sevier 
himself — ^the  left  wing  was  composed  of  Colonel  Cleveland's  regi- 
ment, the  followers  of  Colonels  Williams,  Lacy,  Hawthorn,  and 
Hill,  headed  by  Colonel  Cleveland  in  person.  In  this  order  the 
mountaineers  pursued  until  they  found  Ferguson,  securely  en- 
camped on  King's  mountain,  which  was  about  half  a  mile  long, 
and  from  which  he  declared  the  evening  before,  that  "  God 
Almighty  could  not  drive  him."  On  approaching  the  moun- 
tain, the  two  centre  columns  displayed  to  the  right  and  left,  formed 
a  front,  and  attacked  the  enemy,  while  the  right  and  left  wings  were 
marching  to  surround  him.  In  a  few  minutes  the  action  became 
general  and  severe  ;  continuing  furiously  for  three  fourths  of  an 
hour,  when  the  enemy  being  driven  from  the  east  to  the  west  end  of 
the  mountain,  surrendered  at  discretion.  Ferguson  was  killed,  with 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  his  officers  and  men,  and  seven 
hundred  and  thirty  captured.  The  Americans  had  sixty  killed  and 
wounded  ;  of  the  former.  Colonel  Williams. 

This  glorious  achievement  occurred  at  the  most  gloomy  period  of 
the  revolution,  and  was  the  first  link  in  the  great  chain  of  events  to 
the  South,  which  established  the  independence  of  the  United  States. 
History  has  heretofore,  though  improperly,  ascribed  this  merit  to  the 
battle  of  the  Cowpens,  in  January,  1781 ;  but  it  belongs,  justly,  to 
the  victory  on  King's  mountain,  which  turned  the  tide  of  war  to  the 
South,  as  the  victory  of  Trenton,  under  Washington,  and  of  Ben- 
nington, under  Stark,  did  to  the  North.  It  was  achieved  by  raw, 
undisciplined  riflemen,  without  any  authority  from  the  government 
under  which  they  lived,  without  pay,  rations,  ammunition,  or  even 
the  expectance  of  reward,  other  than  that  which  results  from  the 
noble  ambition  of  advancing  the  liberty  and  welfare  of  their  beloved 
country.  It  completely  dispirited  the  tories,  and  so  alarmed  Corn- 
wallis,  who  then  lay  only  thirty  miles  north  of  King's  mountain  with 
the  main  British  army,  that  on  receiving  information  of  Ferguson's 
total  defeat  and  overthrow  by  the  riflemen  from  the  West,  under 


ISAAC  SHELBY.  * 

Colonels  Campbell,  Shelby,  Cleveland,  and  Sevier,  and  that  they 
were  bearing  down  upon  him,  he  ordered  an  immediate  retreat, 
marched  all  night  in  the  utmost  confusion,  and  retrogaded  as  far 
back  as  Winnsborough,  sixty  or  eighty  miles,  whence  he  did  not 
attempt  to  advance  until  reinforced  three  months  after  by  General 
Leslie,  with  two  thousand  men  from  the  Chesapeake,  hi  the  mean 
time,  the  militia  of  North  Carolina  assembled  in  considerable  force  at 
New  Providence,  on  the  border  of  South  Carolina,  under  General 
Davidson  —  General  Smallwood,  with  Morgan's  light  corps,  and  the 
Maryland  line,  advanced  to  the  same  point.  General  Gates,  with 
the  shattered  remains  of  his  army,  collected  at  Hillsborough,  also 
came  up,  as  well  as  the  new  levies  from  Virginia,  of  one  thousand 
men,  under  General  Stevens; — this  force  enabled  General  Greene, 
who  assumed  the  command  early  in  December,  to  hold  Cornwallis 
in  check. 

The  legislature  of  North  Carolina  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to 
Colonel  Shelby  and  several  other  officers,  and  directed  each  to  be 
presented  with  an  elegant  sword,  for  his  patriotic  conduct  in  the 
attack  and  defeat  of  the  enemy  on  King's  mountain,  on  the  memo- 
rable 7th  October,  1780.  This  resolution  was  carried  into  effect,  as 
to  Colonel  Shelby,  in  the  summer  of  1813,  just  at  the  moment  when, 
in  the  language  of  Secretary  Monroe,  "  disclaiming  all  metaphysical 
distinctions  tending  to  enfeeble  the  government,"  he  was  about  to 
lead  his  troops  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  state  of  which  he  was 
governor.  The  presentation  at  that  particular  time  afforded  a  pre- 
sao-e  of  the  new  glory  he  was  to  acquire  for  himself  and  country  in 
that  eventful  campaign. 

If  any  were  entitled  to  special  commendation  in  this  band  of  heroic 
spirits  on  King's  mountain,  the  claim  of  Colonel  Shelby  would  be 
well  founded.  He  originated  the  expedition,  and  his  valor  and  un- 
shaken resolution  contributed  to  rally  the  right  wing  when  driven 
down  the  mountain  by  a  tremendous  charge  from  the  enemy,  at  the 
onset  of  the  batde.  Nor  have  the  histories  of  the  war  at  the  South 
done  justice  to  the  sagacity  and  judgment  of  Colonel  Shelby  upon 
another  interesting  occasion,  just  following  the  affair  on  King's  moun- 
tain. As  soon  as  he  had  placed  the  prisoners  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  enemy,  he  repaired  to  the  head  quarters  of  General  Gates,  and 
suggested  to  him  the  plan  of  detaching  General  Morgan  towards  the 
mountains.  The  details  of  this  arrangement  were  submitted  by  him 
and  approved  by  Gates,  and  Greene  had  the  good  sense  to  adopt 
them,  after  he  assumed  the  command.     The  result  of  his  advice  was 


*         NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

exhibited  in  the  splendid  affair  at  the  Cowpens,  which  added  fresh 
laurels  to  the  veteran  brows  of  Morgan,  Howard,  and  Washington. 
In  the  campaign  of  the  fall  of  1781,  Colonel  Shelby  served  under 
General  Marion,  a  distinguished  partisan  officer,  of  the  boldest  enter- 
prise.   He  was  called  down  by  General  Greene  to  that  lower  country, 
with  five  hundred  mounted  riflemen  from  the  Western  Waters,  in 
September,  1781,  to  aid  the  General  in  intercepting  Cornwallis,  at 
that  time  blockaded  by  the  French  fleet  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  who, 
it  was  suspected,  would  endeavor  to  make  good  his  retreat  through 
North  Carolina  to  Charleston  ;  but  upon  his  lordship's  surrender  in 
Virginia,  Colonel  Shelby  was  attached  to  General  Marion's  com- 
mand below,  on  the  Santee,  and  was  second  in  command  of  a  strong 
detachment  of  dragoons,  under  Colonel  Mayhem,  ordered  to  carry  a 
British  post  at  Fairlawn,  near  Monk's  Corner,  eight  or  ten  miles 
below  the  enemy's  main  army,  under  General  Stuart.     Information 
had  been  received  by  General  Marion,  that  five  hundred  Hessians  at 
that  post  were  in  a  state  of  mutiny,  and  would  surrender  to  any 
considerable  force  that  might  appear  before  it.    But  the  oflicer  com- 
manding the  post  having  some  apprehensions  of  their  fidelity,  had 
marched  them  off"  to  Charleston,  the  day  before  Colonel  Mayhem 
appeared   before   it.      The   post,   however,  was   surrendered,  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  British  prisoners.     The  British  general  at 
Ferguson's  Swamp,  nine  miles  in  the  rear,  made  great,  though  una- 
vailing efforts  to  intercept  Mayhem's  party  on  their  return  with  the 
prisoners  to  General  Marion's  encampment.     Immediately  after  this 
excursion,  the  British  commander  retreated  with  his  whole  force  to 

Charleston. 

As  the  period  for  which  the  mounted  volunteers  had  engaged  to 
serve  was  about  to  expire,  and  no  farther  active  operations  being 
contemplated,  after  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  towards  Charleston, 
Colonel  Shelby  obtained  leave  of  absence  from  General  Marion,  to 
attend  the  assembly  of  North  Carolina,  of  which  he  was  a  member, 
which  would  sit  two  hundred  miles  distant,  about  the  first  of  De- 
cember. Marion  addressed  a  letter  on  the  subject  to  General  Greene, 
which  Colonel  Shelby  was  permitted  to  see,  speaking  in  high  terms 
of  the  conduct  of  the  mountaineers,  and  assigning  particular  credit 
to  Colonel  Shelby  for  his  conduct  in  the  capture  of  the  British  post, 
as  it  surrendered  to  him  after  an  ineffectual  attempt  by  an  officer 
of  dragoons. 

In  1782,  Colonel  Shelby  was  elected  a  member  of  the  North 
Carolina  assembly,  and  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  to 


10 


ISAAC   SHELBY 

settle  the  preemption  claims  upon  the  Cumberland  river,  and  to  lay 
off  the  lands  allotted  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  North  Carolina 
line,  south  of  where  Nashville  now  stands.  He  performed  this 
service  in  the  winter  of  1782-3,  and  returned  to  Boonsborough, 
Kentucky,  in  April  following,  where  he  married  Susanna,  second 
daughter  of  Captain  Nathaniel  Hart,  one  of  the  first  setders  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  one  of  the  proprietors  styled  Henderson  &  Co.,  by  their 
purchase  of  the  country  from  the  Cherokees.  He  established  himself 
on  the  first  settlement  and  preemption  granted  in  Kentucky,  for  the 
purpose  of  pursuing  his  favorite  occupation,  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact,  pregnant  with  many  curious  re- 
flections, that  at  the  period  of  his  death,  forty-three  years  after,  he 
was  the  only  individual  in  the  state  residing  upon  his  own  settle- 
ment and  preemption. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  early  conventions  held  at  Danville  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  separation  from  the  state  of  Virginia ;  and 
was  a  member  of  that  convention  which  formed  the  first  constitution 
of  Kentucky,  in  April,  1792.  In  May,  following,  he  was  elected  the 
first  chief  magistrate,  and  discharged  its  arduous  duties  with  signal 
advantage  to  the  state.  The  history  of  his  administration  of  an 
infant  republic  in  the  remote  wilderness  would  fill  a  volume  with 
deeply  interesting  incidents,  exhibiting  him  advantageously  in  the 
character  of  a  soldier,  of  a  lawgiver,  and  of  a  diplomatist ;  but  the 
limits  prescribed  to  this  sketch  will  not  permit  a  detail  of  them.  At 
the  expiration  of  four  years  he  retired  to  private  life,  being  the  first 
period  of  a  general  peace  with  the  savages  he  had  ever  experienced 
from  his  childhood. 

He  was  occasionally  chosen  as  an  elector  of  president ;  and  when 
another  war  with  Great  Britain  was  expected  in  1812,  he  was  again 
elected  to  fill  the  highest  executive  office.  His  second  administration 
commenced,  also,  at  an  interesting  period.  The  whole  western 
frontier  was  menaced  by  a  savage  foe,  aided  and  supported  by 
British  intrigue  ;  our  first  army  captured,  and  the  Michigan  territory 
in  possession  of  the  enemy.  It  was  a  crisis  requiring  a  display  of  all 
the  energies  of  his  character,  and,  at  the  request  of  the  legislature,  he 
organized  a  body  of  four  thousand  volunteers,  which  he  led  in  person, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  under  General  Harrison,  into  Canada,  in 
the  fall  of  1813.  He  was  the  rallying  pohit  of  patriotism  in  the 
state,  and  but  for  the  unauthorized  though  judicious  step,  which  he 
assumed  upon  his  own  responsibility,  of  calling  out  mounted  volun- 
teers, the  favorable  moment  for  operation  at  the  crisis  of  the  campaign 

11 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

would  have  been  lost,  and  the  nation  deprived  of  the  important 
results  of  the  memorable  victory  on  the  Thames.  His  gallantry 
and  patriotism  on  that  interesting  occasion  were  acknowledged  by 
the  commanding  general,  and  by  President  Madison  ;  and  in  resolu- 
tions by  the  legislature  of  Kentucky,  which  recognised  "  his  plans 
and  the  execution  of  them  as  splendid  realities,  which  exact  our 
gratitude  and  that  of  his  country,  and  justly  entitle  him  to  the 
applause  of  posterity."  His  conduct  was  approved,  also,  by  a  vote 
of  thanks  from  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  awarding  a  gold 
medal  as  a  testimony  of  its  sense  of  his  illustrious  services. 

In  March,  1817,  he  was  selected  by  President  Monroe  to  fill  the 
department  of  war  ;  but  his  advanced  age,  the  details  of  the  office, 
and  his  desire,  in  a  period  of  peace,  to  remain  in  private  life,  induced 
him  to  decline  an  acceptance  of  it.  In  1818,  he  was  commissioned 
by  the  president  to  act  in  conjunction  with  General  Jackson  in 
holding  a  treaty  with  the  Chickasaw  tribe  of  Indians,  for  the  pur- 
chase of  their  lands  west  of  the  Tennessee  river,  within  the  limits  of 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  they  obtained  a  cession  of  the  terri- 
tory to  the  United  States,  whic^  unites  the  western  population,  and 
adds  greatly  to  the  defence  of  the  country,  in  the  event  of  future 
wars  with  the  savages,  or  with  any  European  power.  This  was  his 
last  public  act. 

In  February,  1820,  he  was  attacked  with  a  paralytic  affection, 
which  disabled  his  right  arm,  and  which  was  the  occasion  of  his 
walking  lame  on  the  right  leg.  His  mind  continued  unimpaired 
until  his  death,  by  apoplexy,  on  the  18th  July,  1826,  in  the  seventy- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.  It  was  a  consolation  to  his  afflicted  family, 
to  cherish  the  hope  that  he  was  prepared  for  this  event.  In  the 
vigor  of  life,  he  professed  it  to  be  his  duty  to  dedicate  himself  to 
God,  and  to  seek  an  interest  in  the  merits  of  the  Redeemer.  He 
had  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
in  his  latter  days,  he  was  the  chief  instrument  in  erecting  a  house 
of  worship  upon  his  own  land. 

The  vigor  of  his  constitution  fitted  him  to  endure  active  and  severe 
bodily  exercise,  and  the  energetic  symmetry  of  his  person,  united 
with  a  peculiar  suavity  of  manner,  rendered  his  deportment  im- 
pressively dignified ;  his  strong  natural  sense  was  aided  by  close 
observation  on  men  and  things  ;  and  the  valuable  qualities  of  method 
and  perseverance,  imparted  success  to  all  his  efforts. ' 

IS 


.  ;n.glaved  "by  AJB.Durand.- 


AMEmW'  ®<Srmmm. 


^d^U^ 


Entered  acccoriiiig  toiie  act  of  Ccarigressin  the  yeaxl834  Tiry-Jin^  decks  office  of  tlieXHstrict 

Conrt  a:  the  Southern. Uistnct  of  iNewlork: . 


AARON     OGDEN. 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  is  one  of  the  small  band  of  ancient 
worthies,  who,  having  devoted  the  prime  of  life  to  the  service  of 
their  country,  yet  live  to  witness  and  enjoy  its  prosperity  and 
happiness. 

In  the  following  sketch  of  the  life  of  Governor  Ogden  it  will  be 
noticed,  that  the  narrative  of  some  of  the  most  important  scenes  in 
the  revolutionary  war,  vary  from  the  accounts  which  have  heretofore 
been  generally  received.  Where  this  is  the  case,  the  present  record 
rests  on  the  authority  of  Colonel  Ogden  himself,  who,  as  will  be 
seen,  was  not  one  of  those  who  could 

"  Behold  unmoved  the  boundless  slaughter  spread, 
Himself  stand  idle  and  his  country  bleed." 

Aaron  Ogden  was  born  on  the  3d  of  December,  1756,  at  Eliza- 
bethtown,  New  Jersey — graduated  at  Princeton  college  in  Septem- 
ber, 1773 — is  now  one  of  the  trustees  of  that  celebrated  seat  of  sci- 
ence, and  the  first  vice-president  of  the  alumni  of  Nassau  Hall,  of 
whom  the  president  is  James  Madison. 

Having  been  nurtured  in  whig  principles,  Mr.  Ogden  very  early 
enrolled  himself  in  their  defence,  in  the  militia  of  his  native  state. 

In  the  winter  of  1775-6,  a  detachment  from  the  first  New  Jersey 
regiment,  together  with  a  corps  of  volunteers  from  Elizabethtown, 
embarked  in  a  small  coasting  vessel  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  a 
ship  lying  off  Sandy  Hook,  while  the  Asia,  a  British  ship  of  the  line, 
and  a  large  tender,  were  lying  in  the  bay  of  New  York.  The  expe- 
dition put  to  sea  at  night,  under  a  strong  north  wind,  and  soon  after 
sun  rising,  they  descried  the  ship  they  were  in  quest  of;  they  bore 
down,  laid  themselves  alongside,  and  captured  her  by  boarding. 
One  of  these  boarders  was  Mr.  Ogden.  The  ship  proved  to  be  the 
"  Blue  Mountain  Valley,"  of  three  hundred  tons,  loaded  with  coal, 
porter,  and  live  stock  for  the  British  troops  at  Boston.  In  the  after- 
noon th6'  wind  came  in  from  the  southward,  and  the  prize  was  safely 
brought  in  and  secured  at  Elizabethtown  point. 


NATIONAL   PORTRAITS. 

In  the  spring  of  1777  Mr.  Ogden  received  an  appointment  in  the 
first  New  Jersey  regiment,  in  the  line  of  the  continental  army :  he 
continued  in  the  service  until  the  termination  of  the  war,  in  the 
various  grades  of  captain,  major  of  brigade,  brigade-major  and 
inspector,  and  aid-de-camp. 

On  the  11th  of  September,  1777,  the  American  army,  consisting 
of  about  eighteen  thousand  men,  was  posted  near  Chad's  ford,  on  the 
Brandy  wine,  with  that  river  and  a  strong  abattis  in  its  front ;  and  the 
enemy,  with  as  large  a  number,  was  advancing  from  the  head  of  Elk, 
apparently  with  an  intent  to  cross  the  Brandywine  at  this  ford,  and 
attack  General  Washington  in  his  then  position  ;  but  he,  foreseeing 
that  Sir  William  Howe  might  turn  the  right  of  the  American  army 
by  crossing  a  bridge  higher  up  the  river,  near  Birmingham  meeting 
house,  was  determined  in  this  event  to  pass  his  army  over  the  Bran- 
dywine at  Chad's  ford,  attack  the  troops,  the  heavy  artillery,  and 
baggage  of  the  enemy,  which  might  be  left  behind,  and  take  post  in 
the  neighboring  high  hills  of  Maryland.  The  first  New  Jersey  regi- 
ment, to  which  Mr.  Ogden  belonged,  was  posted  in  advance,  pre- 
pared to  cross  the  river  and  commence  the  attack,  in  case  the  enemy 
should  make  the  expected  movement.  Colonel  Matthias  Ogden,  who 
commanded  this  regiment,  despatched  his  brother,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  to  the  commander-in-chief,  to  inform  him  that  every  thing 
was  ready  and  waiting  for  the  order  to  advance  across  the  river. 
Washington  was  attended  by  his  aids,  and  informed  the  bearer  of 
this  message,  that  he  was  distracted  hy  contrary  intelligence^  and 
he  did  not  send  the  expected  order. 

It  seems  that  Colonel  Hamilton,  who  was  one  of  Washington's 
aids,  had  reconnoitred  the  enemy,  and  had  informed  the  General 
that  they  were  in  fidl  march  up  the  river,  on  the  other  side  of 
it,  towards  his  right :  at  the  same  time  an  express  arrived  from 
Major  General  Sullivan,  who  had  been  placed  on  the  right  for  the 
express  purpose  of  observing  the  movement  of  the  enemy,  that  there 
were  nojie  on  this  road. 

Colonel  Lewis  Morris,  one  of  the  aids  of  General  Sullivan,  within 
a  few  years  past,  informed  Mr.  Ogden,  that  the  videts  sent  out  by 
General  Sullivan,  had  spent  their  time  in  drinking  at  a  tavern,  and 
on  their  return,  reported  that  the  enemy  were  not  on  that  route,  upon 
which  he  wrote  on  a  drum  head  his  despatch  to  General  Washing- 
ton, containing  this  contradictory  intelligence.  Sir  William  Howe 
turned  the  right  of  the  American  army,  and  compelled  Washington 
to  change  his  front ;  and  thus  this  battle  was  won  and  lost. 


AARON  OGDEN. 

At  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  on  the  28th  of  June,  1778,  Major 
Ogden  was  brigade-major  to  the  Jersey  brigade,  which  composed 
a  part  of  the  advance  of  the  army  under  the  command  of  Gene- 
ral Lee.  This  advanced  corps  marched  in  two  columns,  with  the 
proper  interval  for  forming  a  line  of  battle,  but  on  approaching  the 
enemy,  each  column  halted  and  retired  simultaneously,  without  any 
disposition  for  making  or  receiving  an  attack.  They  retired,  how- 
ever, in  perfect  order,  and  when  met  by  the  commander-in-chief, 
were  directed  by  him  to  fall  into  the  rear  of  the  main  body  of  his 
army.  At  this  time  Major-General  Lord  Sterling,  to  whom  Major 
Ogden  was  well  known,  took  him  as  an  assistant  aid-de-camp,  and 
he  as  such  continued  with  his  lordship  during  the  residue  of  the 
day  and  the  succeeding  night,  in  the  line  of  the  main  body,  during 
which  time  he  was  near  the  person,  both  of  Lord  Sterling  and  of 
the  commander-in-chief,  and  was  the  bearer  of  important  orders  from 
each  of  them.  The  enemy  advanced  to  a  ravine  lying  in  front  of 
the  line  of  the  American  army,  when  there  ensued  a  heavy  and 
destructive  cannonade  from  each  side  for  a  long  time.  The  enemy 
at  length  advanced  over  the  ravine  to  the  attack  of  our  batteries  in 
the  line — on  perceiving  this,  Washington  inquired  of  Major  Ogden 
whether  his  horse  still  held  out,  (for  the  day  was  intensely  hot,) 
and  on  being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  ordered  him  to  re- 
connoitre a  wood,  which  lay  at  some  distance  to  the  left,  with  as 
much  speed  as  possible  ;  this  was  done  accordingly,  and  upon 
his  reporting  that  the  enemy  had  lately  been  in  the  occupation  of 
that  wood,  but  had  retired,  leaving  many  dead,  and  many  dying  with 
heat;  the  commander-in-chief  immediately  said  in  a  loud  voice,  "we 
will  advance  in  our  turn."  He  gave  his  orders  accordingly,  and  the 
British  soldiers  were  driven  back  by  the  points  of  American  bayo- 
nets, which  turned  the  fate  of  the  day :  the  firing  from  each  side 
soon  after  ceased,  and  both  armies  lay  near  each  other  on  the 
ground  they  had  respectively  occupied. 

In  the  winter  of  1778-9,  the  Jersey  brigade  was  cantoned  at  Eli- 
zabethtown,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  British  army.  An 
attempt  to  surprise  this  brigade  was  made  by  an  expedition  from 
Long  Island,  under  General  Grey,  called  "no  flint  Grey,"  on  account 
of  his  having,  on  a  former  occasion,  surprised  and  put  to  the  bayonet 
a  part  of  General  Wayne's  brigade  at  the  Paoli,  near  Philadelphia. 

Major  Ogden  was  sleeping  in  the  same  room  with  General  Max- 
well, who  commanded  the  brigade,  Avhen  the  field  officer  of  the  day 
rode  up  to  the  general's  quarters  and  informed  him  that  one  of  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

pickets  had  heard  the  rowing  of  many  boats  round  Bergen  point, 
up  Newark  bay.  Major  Ogden,  knowing  that  there  was  no  picket 
on  the  road  leading  from  the  salt  meadows  lying  on  this  bay,  volun- 
teered his  service,  to  reconnoitre  that  road.  On  approaching  the 
house  next  to  the  meadows,  he  observed  in  it  a  light,  and  slackened 
the  pace  of  his  horse— the  night  was  remarkably  dark,  and  suddenly 
he  found  himself  among  British  soldiers,  and  within  the  reach  of  a 
British  sentinel,  who  directed  him  to  dismount.  Major  Ogden, 
determined  at  all  hazards  to  attempt  to  alarm  the  garrison,  immedi- 
ately wheeled  and  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  expecting  a  shot,  but  in- 
stead of  a  shot  he  received  from  another  sentinel  a  thrust  with  a 
bayonet  below  the  short  ribs  — he  had  strength  nevertheless  to  reach 
the  garrison,  about  two  miles  distant,  and  give  the  alarm.  On  his 
return.  General  Maxwell  observed  that  "  the  pitcher  that  often  goes 
down  the  well,  will  come  up  broken  at  last."  He,  however,  recovered 
from  his  wound,  but  it  had  well  nigh  proved  fatal  to  him. 

In  the  campaign  of  1779  Major  Ogden  served  as  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Maxwell  in  the  successful  expedition  of  Major  General  Sul- 
livan aofainst  the  hostile  Indians. 

Early  in  the  year  1780,  an  expedition  from  New  York,  consisting 
of  eight  thousand  British  and  Hessian  troops,  under  the  Hessian 
General,  Knyphausen,  passed  into  New  Jersey,  with  a  design  to 
attack  Washington  in  his  winter  quarters  at  Morristown,  with  an 
army  consisting  then  of  not  more  than  six  thousand  effective  men. 

At  this  time  the  Jersey  brigade,  consisting  of  about  one  thousand 
men,  under  the  command  of  General  Maxwell,  to  whom  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  was  aid-de-camp,  was  stationed  on  the  lines. 

The  enemy  landed,  at  midnight,  at  Elizabethtown  point,  about 
eio-hteen  miles  from  Morristown,  and  advanced  unobserved  till  they 
fell  in  with  a  picket  guard,  by  whose  fire,  the  thigh  of  General  Ster- 
lino-,  of  the  British  army,  who  led  the  advance,  was  broken,  which 
delayed  the  further  advance  of  this  expedition  for  a  very  considera- 
ble time. 

At  sun  rise  they  were  seen  in  full  march,  about  four  miles  from 
Elizabethtown,  on  the  road  to  Morris,  but  their  further  advance  was 
then  checked  by  the  Jersey  brigade,  in  a  sharp  action  of  more  than 
an  hour,  and  until  its  left  was  turned  by  the  enemy  on  another  road, 
Avhen  it  retired  to  Springfield,  a  distance  of  about  three  miles,  in 
perfect  order,  and  without  the  least  precipitation. 

The  brigade  was  then  posted  behind  the  river  near  Springfield, 
having  left  standing  the  bridge  over  which  it  had  passed.     The 


AARON  OGDEN. 

enemy  advanced  as  far  as  the  river  and  bridge,  but  no  farther  on 
that  day. 

•  By  this  time  the  inhabitants  had  received  the  alarm  ;  the  miUtia, 
in  small  bodies,  were  beginning  to  join  the  brigade,  and  the  special 
direction  of  them  was  committed  to  Major  Ogden,  who,  by  his  con- 
duct during  the  day,  had  acquired  the  confidence  of  his  general,  by 
having  twice  saved  his  brigade  from  defeat  and  ruin. 

Major  Ogden  induced  the  first  small  body  of  militia  who  had 
come  in,  to  cross  the  bridge,  conceal  themselves  among  the  willow 
bushes  growing  by  the  river,  and  there  to  remain  until  they 
should  be  able  to  give  one  shot  at  least,  and  to  return  back  over  the 
bridge.  This  was  done  accordingly,  and  every  man  returned  safe. 
It  was  less  difficult  to  induce  the  next  small  party  to  do  the  same, 
and  this  example  was  followed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  by  every  suc- 
cessive body  of  militia  ;  each  man,  thus  acting  for  himself,  in  defence 
of  his  home,  his  wife,  and  his  children,  did  yeoman  service ;  so  that 
the  whole  line  of  the  British  army  before  night  became  engaged  in 
this  irregular  fight,  and  at  night  retreated,  taking  off"  with  them  their 
dead  and  wounded,  which  amounted  to  a  very  considerable  number. 

This  instance  may  be  cited  as  a  fair  proof  that  militia  always 
should  he  used  as  irregidar,  and  not  as  regular  troops. 

In  about  ten  days  afterwards  the  enemy  again  marched  out,  and 
burnt  Springfield,  in  presence  of  greater  numbers  of  regular  troops, 
and  three  thousand  militia,  who  were  organized  on  that  day  in 
regular  order.  On  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  they  were  followed  by 
irregular  bodies  of  militia,  horse  and  foot,  to  hasten  their  march,  and 
prevent  plundering;  in  this  service  Major  Ogden's  horse  was  shot 
under  him  through  the  body. 

After  the  resignation  of  General  Maxwell,  Captain  Ogden,  com- 
manding a  company  in  the  light  infantry,  under  Major  General  the 
Marquis  Lafayette,  received  an  order  from  the  commander-in-chief 
to  attend  at  head  quarters,  the  next  morning,  at  eight  o'clock  pre- 
cisely, when  he  was  met  by  Washington  alone  at  his  tent  door,  who 
put  into  his  hands  a  packet  addressed  to  his  excellency  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  commander,  etc.,  of  the  British  forces  at  New  York,  and  at 
the  same  time  directed  him  to  carry  it,  with  a  flag  of  truce,  under 
an  escort  of  twenty-five  dragoons,  to  the  nearest  post  of  the  enemy, 
and  deliver  it  into  the  hands  of  the  commanding  officer  there ;  and 
that  he  should  get  for  himself  the  best  horse  he  could  obtain,  and 
call  on  the  Marquis  Lafayette  for  special  instructions.  Blajor 
Andre,  of  the  British  army,  who  was  loiown  to  be  the  particular 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

friend  and  favorite  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  had  been  taken,  tried,  and 
condemned  to  death  by  a  general  court-martial  of  American  officers, 
and  was  then  under  sentence  to  be  hanged  as  a  spy. 

General  Lafayette's  instructions  to  Captain  Ogden  were,  that  he 
should,  if  possible,  get  vnthin  the  British  post,  at  Powles  Hook, 
and  continue  there  during  the  tiight,  and  that  he  should  privateli/ 
assure  the  co7nmanding  officer  there,  without  taking  him  aside  for 
the  purpose,  that  he.  Captain  Ogden,  was  instructed  to  say,  that  if 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  woidd,  in  any  way  whatever,  suffer  Washington 
to  get  General  Arnold  within  his  power,  that  Major  Andre  shoidd 
be  immediately  released. 

Captain  Ogden  so  managed  as  to  get  into  the  post,  where  he  was 
politely  offered  accommodations  for  the  night.  No  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself  until  supper,  when  he  was  seated  next  the  commanding 
officer  there,  into  whose  ear  the  communication  was  whispered  ;  on 
receiving  which  he  immediately  rose  from  the  table,  and  returned  in 
about  two  hours  from  the  city  of  New  York,  the  head  quarters  of 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  with  a  laconic  answer  from  him,  which  was 
communicated  in  the  same  private  manner,  that  a  deserter  teas 
never  given  up,  and  then  added  aloud — "Captain  Ogden,  your 
horse  will  be  ready  for  your  departure  early  in  the  morning."  Thus 
this  benevolent  experiment  of  Washington,  in  favor  of  the  unfortunate 
Andre,  failed,  and  this  accomplished  scholar  and  gentleman  suffered 
an  ignominious  death,  while  the  infamous  Arnold  was  receiving  the 
reward  of  his  treachery  to  his  general  and  his  treason  to  his  country. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  a  captain  of  a  company  of  the 
light  infantry  of  general,  the  Marquis  Lafayette,  in  his  memorable 
campaign  in  Virginia,  in  1781. 

Early  in  this  campaign  General  Lafayette  formed  a  legionary 
corps  of  horse  and  foot,  to  be  commanded  by  Major  MTherson ;  the 
foot  was  composed  of  one  company,  selected  from  each  of  his  three 
regiments  of  light  infantry — these  were  all  picked  men,  and  always 
lay  between  the  two  armies,  and  particularly  exposed  to  surprise — 
which,  although  frequently  attempted,  was  never  effected — and  to 
guard  against  which  required  the  greatest  vigilance ;  these  three 
companies  of  infantry  were  commanded  by  Captain  Ogden,  being 
the  eldest  captain. 

During  this  campaign,  and  before  the  arrival  of  Washington, 
Lord  Cornwallis  made  an  attempt  "  to  catch  the  boy^''  as  he  used  to 
call  Lafayette,  by  inducing  him  to  believe  that  he  was  crossing  his 
whole  army  from  the  north  to  the  south  side  of  James  river ;  and 


AARON  OGDEN. 

made  a  demonstration  accordingly.  General  Lafayette  discovered 
this  feint,  but  just  in  time  to  save  himself,  after  marching  to  attack 
the  rear  of  the  enemy,  as  he  supposed ;  he,  however,  ordered  an 
attack  on  the  left  of  the  front  of  the  enemy ;  and  Captain  Ogden 
was  ordered  with  the  infantry  of  this  legionary  corps,  and  a  body  of 
militia,  to  march  to  the  left  and  cover  the  retreat  of  the  main  body, 
which  retreat  at  the  same  time  was  ordered  by  the  general. 

After  marching  some  distance  as  directed.  Captain  Ogden  dis- 
covered the  right  wing  of  the  British  army  advancing  rapidly  to  turn 
the  left  of  our  army,  when,  in  order  to  conceal  the  comparative  small- 
ness  of  his  force,  he  threw  his  men  into  a  neighboring  wood,  and 
posted  them  behind  a  surrounding  fence  ;  this  caused  the  enemy  to 
halt  and  reconnoitre,  and  form  their  line  of  attack,  which  marched 
up  to  charge  into  the  woods.  In  this,  however,  they  were  checked 
by  a  galling  fire  from  the  men  behind  the  fence;  by  which  means  the 
right  wing  of  the  enemy  was  retarded  until  the  firing  on  the  left 
had  entirely  ceased — when  Captain  Ogden  drew  off  his  men  and 
fell  into  the  rear  of  the  main  body,  and  so  covered  its  retreat. 

At  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  Captain  Ogden,  at  the  head  of  his 
company,  gallantly  stormed  the  left  redoubt  of  the  enemy,  "  and  was 
honored,"  says  Lafayette  in  an  autograph  letter  before  us,  "  with  the 
peculiar  approbation  of  Washington." 

After  the  termination  of  the  war  he  applied  himself  to  the  study 
of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  by  the  supreme  court  of  New  Jersey, 
to  the  degrees  successively  of  an  attorney,  a  counsellor,  and  sergeant- 
at-laW;  and  by  the  corporation  of  Nassau  Hall,  at  Princeton,  to  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

In  the  year  1799,  and  when  in  full  practice  at  the  bar,  he  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  eleventh  regiment  of  the  army  of 
the  United  States,  and  a  deputy  quarter-master-general,  in  which 
grades  he  served  until  the  army  was  disbanded. 

In  the  year  1800  he  was  appointed,  by  the  legislature  of  New 
Jersey,  to  be  one  of  the  electors  of  the  president  and  vice-president 
of  the  United  States,  and  afterwards  one  of  the  commissioners  on 
the  part  of  New  Jersey  for  definitely  settling  the  disputed  boundary 
between  that  state  and  the  state  of  New  York.  The  commissioners 
reported  to  the  legislatures  of  their  respective  states,  the  arguments 
on  both  sides,  for  and  against  the  position,  that  the  middle  of  the 
intermediate  water  was  the  true  boundary  line ;  but  the  controversy 
between  the  states  remained  unsettled  until  lately,  when  that  line 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

was  adopted  with  some  special  exceptions  as  to  jurisdiction,  which 
were  supposed  to  be  mutually  advantageous. 

In  the  year  1801  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  senators  of  the  state 
of  New  Jersey  in  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  and  served  as 
such  until  1803  ;  after  which  he  resumed  and  continued  in  an 
extensive  practice  of  the  law,  until  the  year  1812,  when  he  was 
elected  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  commander-in-chief  of 
its  militia.  During  this  period  he  was  appointed  a  major-general 
in  the  army  of  the  United  States,  then  at  war  with  Great  Britain, 
which  last  appointment  he  did  not  accept,  on  the  sole  ground  that 
he  thouofht  he  could  be  of  more  use  in  the  command  of  the  militia 
of  New  Jersey,  then  threatened  with  an  invasion,  than  he  probably 
could  be  in  the  regular  army.  Governor  Ogden  appeared  before 
the  legislature  of  the  state  of  New  York,  about  the  year  1815,  and 
personally,  in  an  argument  before  committees  of  the  whole  of  both 
houses,  made  the  first  attempt  to  prove  that  the  statute  of  New  York, 
granting  to  Mr.  Fulton  a  monopoly  of  steam  boat  navigation  on  all 
the  waters  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  state,  was  unconstitutional. 
This  argument  was  had  in  support  of  a  petition  from  him  to  repeal 
the  law  of  the  state  of  New  York,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  con- 
trary to  the  constitution  of  the  United  States.  In  this  argument  he 
was  opposed  by  highly  eminent  counsel.  The  bill  offered  by  him 
passed  the  house  of  assembly  by  a  large  majority,  but  was  lost  in 
the  senate  by  one  vote.  Although  this  bill  was  lost,  it  may  be 
ascribed  to  this  first  efibrt  ever  made  against  that  monopoly,  that  it 
was  finally  crushed  by  a  judgment  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United 
States,  on  the  ground  advocated  by  Governor  Ogden  at  Albany. 

Governor  Ogden  is  now  president-general  of  the  general  society 
of  Cincinnati,*  in  which  high  rank  his  predecessors  were  Generals 
"Washington,  Hamilton,  and  Pinkney ;  he  has  also  been,  for  many 
years,  president  of  the  New  Jersey  state  society  of  that  order. 


*  This  society  was  instituted  in  1783,  on  the  disbanding  of  the  army.  When  the 
officers  were  about  to  become  private  citizens,  they  resolved  to  associate  themselves  into 
a  Society  of  Friends,  to  endure  as  long  as  they  shall  endure,  or  any  of  their  male 
posterity.  The  principles  on  which  the  society  is  based,  are  "  an  incessant  attention  to 
preserve  inviolate  those  exalted  rights  and  liberties  of  human  nature,  for  which  they 
have  fought  and  bled,  and  without  which,  the  high  rank  of  a  rational  being  is  a  curse, 
instead  of  a  blessing."  "  An  unalterable  determination  to  jnomote  and  cherish  behoeen 
the  respective  states  that  union  and  national  honor  so  essentially  necessary  to  their  happi- 
ness, and  the  future  dignity  of  the  American  empire ;  and  to  render  permanent  the 
cordial  affection  subsisting  among  the  officers  of  the  allied  forces." 


Kn^  by  Ay,  Jtuiaml 


JOHN    MAKSIIAI.I,    LL.D. 


.  ir.  Oio  year  lUii  br  J-ira^s  IWnnj  m  Gift  derVs  oftico  u£  \he  Uislnct 


JOHN    MARSHALL,    LL.  D., 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


John  Marshall  (the  present  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States,) 
was  born  in  Fauquier  county,  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  on  the 
24th  of  September,  1755.  His  father  was  Thomas  Marshall  of 
the  same  state,  who  served  with  great  distinction  in  the  revo- 
hitionary  war,  as  a  colonel  in  the  line  of  the  continental  army. 
Colonel  Marshall  was  a  planter  of  a  very  small  fortune,  and  had 
received  but  a  narrow  education.  These  deficiencies,  however,  were 
amply  supplied  by  the  gifts  of  nature.  His  talents  were  of  a  high 
order,  and  he  cultivated  them  with  great  dihgence  and  perseverance, 
so  that  he  maintained  throughout  his  whole  life,  among  asso- 
ciates of  no  mean  character,  the  reputation  of  being  a  man  of 
extraordinary  ability.  No  better  proof  need  be  adduced  to  justify 
this  opinion,  than  the  fact  that  he  possessed  the  unbounded 
confidence,  admiration,  and  reverence  of  all  his  children,  at  the  period 
of  life  when  they  were  fully  able  to  appreciate  his  worth  and 
compare  him  with  other  men  of  known  eminence.  There  are  those 
yet  living,  who  have  often  listened  with  delight  to  the  praises 
bestowed  on  him  by  filial  affection  ;  and  have  heard  the  declaration 
emphatically  repeated  from  the  lips  of  one  of  his  most  gifted  sons,  that 
his  father  was  an  abler  man  than  any  of  his  children.  Such  praise 
from  such  a  source  is  beyond  measure  precious.  It  warms  while  it 
elevates.  It  is  a  tribute  of  gratitude  to  the  memory  of  a  parent  after 
death  has  put  the  last  seal  upon  his  character,  and  at  a  distance  of 
time,  when  sorrow  has  ceased  its  utterance,  and  left  behind  it  the 
power  calmly  to  contemplate  his  excellence. 

Colonel  Marshall  had  fifteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now 
living ;  and  it  has  long  been  a  matter  of  public  fame,  that  all  the 
children,  females  as  well  as  males,  possessed  superior  intellectual 
endowments.  John  was  the  eldest  child;  and  was  of  course  the 
first  to  engage  the  solicitude  of  his  father.     In  the  local  position  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

the  family,  at  that  time  ahiiost  upon  the  frontier  settlements  of  the 
country,  (for  Fauquier  was  a  frontier  county,)  it  was  of  course,  that 
the  early  education  of  all  the  children  should  devolve  upon  its  head. 
Colonel  Marshall  superintended  the  studies  of  his  eldest  son,  and  gave 
him  a  decided  taste  for  English  literature,  and  especially  for  history 
and  poetry.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  had  transcribed  Pope's  Essay 
on  Man,  and  also  some  of  his  moral  essays.  The  love  of  poetry,  thus 
awakened  in  his  warm  and  vigorous  mind,  never  ceased  to  exert  a 
commanding  influence  over  it.  He  became  enamored  of  the 
classical  writers  of  the  old  school,  and  was  instructed  by  their  solid 
sense,  and  their  beautiful  imagery.  In  the  enthusiasm  of  youth,  he 
often  indulged  himself  in  poetical  compositions,  and  freely  gave  up 
his  hours  of  leisure  to  those  delicious  dreamings  of  the  muse,  which 
(say  what  we  may)  constitute  some  of  the  purest  sources  of  pleasure 
in  the  gay  scenes  of  life,  and  some  of  the  sweetest  consolations  in 
adversity  and  afiiiction,  throughout  every  subsequent  period  of  it.  It 
is  well  known,  that  he  has  continued  to  cultivate  this  favorite  study, 
and  to  read  with  intense  interest  the  gay  as  well  as  the  loftier 
productions  of  the  divine  art.  One  of  the  best  recommendations  of  the 
taste  for  poetry  in  early  life  is,  that  it  does  not  die  with  youth ;  but 
affords  to  maturer  years  an  invigorating  energy,  and  to  old  age  a 
serene  and  welcome  employment,  always  within  reach,  and  always 
coming  with  a  fresh  charm.  Its  gentle  influence  is  then  like  that 
so  happily  treated  by  Gray.     The  lover  of  the  muses  may  truly  say, 

I  feel  the  gales  that  round  ye  blow 

A  momentary  bliss  bestow, 

As,  waving  fresh  their  gladsome  wing, 

My  weary  soul  they  seem  to  soothe, 

And  redolent  of  joy  and  youth 

To  breathe  a  second  spring. 

The  contrast,  indeed,  is  somewhat  striking  between  that  close 
reasoning,  which  almost  rejects  the  aid  of  ornament,  in  the  juridical 
labors  of  the  Chief  Justice,  and  that  generous  taste,  which  devotes 
itself  with  equal  delight  to  the  works  of  fiction  and  song.  Yet  the 
union  has  been  far  less  uncommon  than  slight  observers  are  apt  to 
imagine.  Lord  Hardwicke  and  Lord  Mansfield  had  an  ardent 
thirst  for  general  literature,  and  each  of  them  was  a  cultivator,  if 
not  a  devotee,  of  the  lighter  productions  of  the  imagination. 

There  being  at  that  time  no  grammar  school  in  the  part  of  the 
country  where  Colonel  Marshall  resided,  his  son  was  sent,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  about  a  hundred  miles  from  home,  and  placed  under  the 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

tuition  of  a  Mr.  Campbell,  a  clergyman  of  great  respectability.  He 
remained  with  him  a  year,  and  then  returned  home,  and  was  put 
under  the  care  of  a  Scotch  gentleman,  who  was  just  introduced  into 
the  parish  as  pastor ;  and  resided  in  his  father's  family.  He  pursued 
his  classical  studies  under  this  gentleman's  direction,  while  he 
remained  in  the  family,  which  was  about  a  year ;  and  at  the 
termination  of  it,  he  had  commenced  reading  Horace  and  Livy.  His 
subsequent  mastery  of  the  classics  was  the  result  of  his  own  efforts, 
without  any  other  aid  than  his  grammar  and  dictionary.  He  never 
had  the  benefit  of  an  education  at  any  college,  and  his  attainments  in 
learning  have  been  nursed  by  the  solitary  vigils  of  his  own  genius. 
His  father,  however,  continued  to  superintend  his  English  education, 
to  cherish  his  love  of  knowledge,  to  give  a  solid  cast  to  his  acquire- 
ments, and  to  store  his  mind  with  the  most  valuable  materials.  He 
was  not  merely  a  watchful  parent,  but  an  instructive  and  affectionate 
friend,  and  soon  became  the  most  constant,  as  he  was  at  the  time 
almost  the  only  intelligent,  companion  of  his  son.  The  time  not 
devoted  to  his  society  was  passed  in  hardy  athletic  exercises,  and 
probably  to  this  circumstance  is  owing  that  robust  constitution,  which 
yet  seems  fresh  and  firm  in  a  green  old  age. 

About  the  time  when  young  Marshall  entered  his  eighteenth 
year,  the  controversy  between  Great  Britain  and  her  American 
colonies  began  to  assume  a  portentous  aspect,  and  engaged,  and 
indeed  absorbed,  the  attention  of  all  the  colonists,  whether  they  were 
young,  or  old,  in  private  and  secluded  life,  or  in  political  and  public 
bodies.  He  entered  into  it  with  all  the  zeal  and  enthusiasm  of  a  youth, 
full  of  love  for  his  country  and  liberty,  and  deeply  sensible  of  its 
rights  and  its  wrongs.  He  devoted  much  time  to  acquiring  the  first 
rudiments  of  military  exercise  in  a  voluntary  independent  company, 
composed  of  gentlemen  of  the  county ;  to  training  a  militia  company 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  to  reading  the  political  essays  of  the  day. 
For  these  animating  pursuits,  the  preludes  of  public  resistance,  he 
was  quite  content  to  relinquish  the  classics,  and  the  less  inviting,  but 
with  reference  to  his  future  destiny,  the  more  profitable  Commen- 
taries of  Sir  William  Blackstone. 

In  the  summer  of  1775,  he  received  an  appointment  as  first 
lieutenant  in  a  company  of  minute-men  enrolled  for  actual  service, 
who  were  assembled  in  battalion  on  the  first  of  the  ensuing  September. 
In  a  few  days  they  were  ordered  to  march  into  the  lower  country, 
for  the  purpose  of  defending  it  against  a  small  regular  and  predatory 
force  commanded  by  Lord  Dunmore.     They  constituted  part  of  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

troops  destined  for  the  relief  of  Norfolk ;  and  Lieutenant  Marshall 
was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Great  Bridge,  where  the  British 
troops,  under  Lord  Dunmore,  were  repulsed  with  great  gallantry. 
The  way  being  thus  opened  by  the  retreat  of  the  British,  he 
marched  with  the  provincials  to  Norfolk,  and  was  present  when 
that  city  was  set  on  fire  by  a  detachment  from  the  British  sliips  then 
lying  in  the  river. 

In  July,  1776,  he  was  appointed  first  lieutenant  in  the  eleventh 
Virginia  regiment  on  the  continental  establishment ;  and  in  the  course 
of  the  succeeding  winter,  he  marched  to  the  north,  where,  in  May, 
1777,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  was  subsequently 
engaged  in  the  skirmish  at  Iron  Hill  with  the  light  infantiy,  and 
fought  in  the  memorable  battles  of  Brandywine,  Germantown,  and 
Monmouth. 

That  part  of  the  Virginia  line,  which  was  not  ordered  to  Charleston 
(S.  C.,)  being  in  efiect  dissolved  by  the  expiration  of  the  term  of 
enlistment  of  the  soldiers,  the  officers  (among  whom  was  Captain 
Marshall)  were,  in  the  winter  of  1779-80,  directed  to  return  home,  in 
order  to  take  charge  of  such  men  as  the  state  legislature  should  raise 
for  them.  It  was  during  this  season  of  inaction  that  he  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  of  attending  a  course  of  law  lectures  given 
by  Mr.  Wythe,  afterwards  chancellor  of  the  state  ;  and  a  course  of 
lectures  on  natural  philosophy,  given  by  Mr.  Madison,  president  of 
William  and  Mary  College  in  Virginia.  He  left  this  college  in  the 
summer  vacation  of  1780,  and  obtained  a  license  to  practice  law.  In 
October  he  returned  to  the  army,  and  continued  in  service  until  the 
termination  of  Arnold's  invasion.  After  this  period,  and  before  the 
invasion  of  Phillips,  in  February,  1781,  there  being  a  redundancy  of 
officers  m  the  Virginia  line,'  he  resigned  his  commission. 

During  the  invasion  of  Virginia,  the  courts  of  law  were  suspended, 
and  were  not  reopened  until  after  the  capitulation  of  Lord  Cornwallis. 
Immediately  after  that  event  Mr.  Marshall  commenced  the  practice 
of  law,  and  soon  rose  into  distinction  at  the  bar. 

In  the  spring  of  1782,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  a  member  of 
the  executive  council.  In  January,  1783,  he  m.arried  Miss  Ambler, 
the  daughter  of  a  gentleman  who  was  then  treasurer  of  the 
state,  and  to  whom  he  had  become  attached  before  he  left  the  army. 
This  lady  Hved  for  nearly  fifty  years  after  her  marriage,  to  partake 
and  to  enjoy  the  distinguished  honors  of  her  husband.  In  1784,  he 
resigned  his  seat  at  the  council  board,  in  order  to  return  to  the  bar ; 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

and  he  was  immediately  afterwards  again  elected  a  member  of  the 
legislature  for  the  county  of  Fauquier,  of  which  he  was  then  only 
nominally  an  inhabitant,  his  actual  residence  being  at  Richmond. 
In  1787  he  was  elected  a  member  from  the  county  of  Henrico  ;  and 
though  at  that  time  earnestly  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  profession, 
he  embarked  largely  in  the  political  questions  which  then  agitated 
the  state,  and  indeed  the  whole  confederacy. 

Every  person  at  all  read  in  our  domestic  history  must  recollect  the 
dangers  and  diiRculties  of  those  days.  The  termination  of  the 
revolutionary  war  left  the  country  impoverished  and  exhausted  by  its 
expenditures,  and  the  national  finances  at  a  low  state  of  depression. 
The  powers  of  congress  under  the  confederation,  which,  even  during 
the  war,  were  often  prostrated  by  the  neglect  of  a  single  state  to 
enforce  them,  became  in  the  ensuing  peace  utterly  relaxed  and 
inefficient. 

Credit,  private  as  well  as  public,  was  destroyed.  Agriculture  and 
commerce  were  crippled.  The  delicate  relation  of  debtor  and  creditor 
became  daily  more  and  more  embarrassed  and  embarrassing ;  and,  as 
is  usual  upon  such  occasions,  every  sort  of  expedient  was  resorted  to 
by  popular  leaders,  as  well  as  by  men  of  desperate  fortunes,  to 
inflame  the  public  mind,  and  to  bring  into  odium  those  who  labored 
to  preserve  the  public  faith,  and  to  establish  a  more  energetic  govern- 
ment. The  whole  country  was  soon  divided  into  two  great  parties, 
the  one  of  which  endeavored  to  put  an  end  to  the  public  evils  by  the 
establishment  of  a  government  over  the  Union,  which  should  be 
adequate  to  all  its  exigencies,  and  act  directly  on  the  people  ;  the 
other  was  devoted  to  state  authority,  jealous  of  all  federal  influence, 
and  determined  at  every  hazard  to  resist  its  increase. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say,  that  Mr.  Marshall  could  not 
remain  an  idle  or  indifferent  spectator  of  such  scenes.  As  little 
doubt  could  there  be  of  the  part  he  would  take  in  such  a  contest. 
He  was  at  once  arrayed  on  the  side  of  Washington  and  Madison. 
In  Virginia,  as  every  where  else,  the  principal  topics  of  the  day  were 
paper  money,  the  collection  of  taxes,  the  preservation  of  public  faith, 
and  the  administration  of  civil  justice.  The  parties  were  nearly 
equally  divided  upon  all  these  topics ;  and  the  contest  concerning 
them  was  continually  renewed.  In  such  a  state  of  things,  every 
victory  was  but  a  temporary  and  questionable  triumph,  and  every 
defeat  still  left  enough  of  hope  to  excite  to  new  and  strenuous 
exertions.  The  affairs,  too,  of  the  confederacy  were  then  at  a  crisis. 
The  question  of  the  continuance  of  the  Union,  or  a  separation  of  the 

6 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

states,  was  freely  discussed ;  and,  what  is  almost  startling  now  to 
repeat,  either  side  of  it  was  maintained  without  reproach.  Mr. 
Madison  was  at  this  time,  and  had  been  for  two  or  three  years,  a 
member  of  the  house  of  delegates,  and  was  in  fact  the  author  of  the 
resolution  for  the  general  convention  at  Philadelphia  to  revise  the 
confederation.  He  was  at  all  times  the  enlightened  advocate  of 
union,  and  of  an  efficient  federal  government,  and  he  received  on  all 
occasions  the  steady  support  of  Mi*.  Marshall.  Many  have 
witnessed,  with  no  ordinary  emotions,  the  pleasure  with  which  both 
of  these  gentlemen  look  back  upon  their  cooperation  at  that  period, 
and  the  sentiments  of  profound  respect  with  which  they  habitually 
regard  each  other. 

Both  of  them  were  members  of  the  convention  subsequently 
called  in  Virginia  for  the  ratification  of  the  federal  constitution. 
This  instrument,  having  come  forth  under  the  auspices  of  General 
Washington  and  other  distinguished  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  was 
at  first  favorably  received  in  Virginia,  but  it  soon  encountered 
decided  hostility.  Its  defence  was  uniformly  and  most  powerfully 
maintained  there  by  Mr.  Marshall. 

The  debates  of  the  Virginia  convention  are  in  print.  But  we 
have  been  assured  by  the  highest  authority,  that  the  printed  volume 
alfords  but  a  very  feeble  and  faint  sketch  of  the  actual  debates  on 
that  occasion,  or  of  the  vigor  with  which  every  attack  was  urged, 
and  every  onset  repelled,  against  the  constitution.  The  best  talents 
of  the  state  were  engaged  in  the  controversy.  The  principal  debates 
were  conducted  by  Patrick  Henry  and  James  Madison,  as  leaders. 
But  on  three  great  occasions,  namely,  the  debates  on  the  power  of 
taxation,  the  power  over  the  militia,  and  the  power  of  the  judiciary, 
Mr.  Marshall  gave  free  scope  to  his  genius,  and  argued  with  a  most 
commanding  ability. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  the  present  generation  to  conceive  the 
mao-nitude  of  the  dangers  to  which  we  were  then  exposed,  or  to 
realize  the  extent  of  the  obstacles  which  were  opposed  to  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution.  Notwithstanding  all  the  sufferings  of 
the  people,  the  acknowledged  imbecility  of  the  government,  and  the 
almost  desperate  state  of  our  public  affairs,  there  were  men  of  high 
character,  and  patriots  too,  who  clung  to  the  old  confederation  with 
an  enthusiastic  attachment,  and  saw  in  the  grant  of  any  new  powers, 
indeed  of  any  powers,  to  a  national  government,  nothing  but 
oppression  and  tyranny,  —  slavery  of  the  people  and  destruction  of 
the  state  governments  on  the  one  hand,  and  universal  despotism 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

and  overwhelming  taxation  on  the  other.  Time,  the  great  umpire 
and  final  judge  of  these  questions,  has  indeed  now  abundantly  sho^vn 
how  vain  were  the  fears,  and  how  unsound  the  principles  of  the 
opponents  of  the  constitution.  The  prophecies  of  its  friends  have 
been  abundantly  fulfilled  in  the  growth  and  solid  prosperity  of  their 
country ;  far,  indeed,  beyond  their  most  sanguine  expectations.  But 
our  gratitude  can  never  be  too  warm  to  those  eminent  men  who 
stemmed  the  torrent  of  public  prejudice,  and  with  a  wisdom  and 
prudence,  almost  surpassing  human  power,  laid  the  foundations 
of  that  government,  which  saved  us  at  the  hour  when  we  were 
ready  to  perish.  After  twenty-five  days  of  ardent  and  eloquent 
discussion,  to  which  justice  never  has  been,  and  never  can  now  be 
done,  (during  which  nine  states  adopted  the  constitution,)  the  question 
was  carried  in  its  favor  in  the  convention  of  Virginia  by  a  majority 
of  ten  votes  only. 

The  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  having  been 
thus  secured,  Mr.  Marshall  immediately  formed  the  determination 
to  relinquish  public  life,  and  to  devote  himself  to  the  arduous  duties 
of  his  profession. 

A  man  of  his  eminence  could,  however,  with  very  great  difficulty 
adhere  rigidly  to  his  original  resolve.     The  state  legislature  having, 
in  December,  1788,  passed,  an  act  allowing  a  representative  to  the  city 
of  Richmond,  Mr.  Marshall  was  almost  unanimously  invited  to 
become  a  candidate.     With  considerable  reluctance  he  yielded  to  the 
public  wishes,  being  principally  influenced  in  his  acceptance  of  the 
station,  by  the  increasing  hostility  manifested  in  the  state  against  the 
national  government,  and  his  own  anxious  desire  to  give  the  latter  his 
decided  and  public  support.     He  continued  in  the  legislature,  as  a 
representative  of  Richmond,  for  the  years   1789,  1790,  and    1791. 
During    this    period    every  important    measure    of    the    national 
government  was  discussed  in  the  state  legislature  with  great  freedom, 
and  no  inconsiderable  acrimony.     On  these  occasions  Mr.  Marshall 
vindicated  the  national   government  with    a   manly  and    zealous 
independence. 

After  the  termination  of  the  session  of  the  legislature,  in  1791, 
Mr.  Marshall  voluntarily  retired.  But  the  events  which  soon 
afterwards  occurred  in  Europe,  and  extended  a  most  awakening 
influence  to  America,  did  not  long  permit  him  to  devote  himself  to 
professional  pursuits.  The  French  revolution,  in  its  early  dawn, 
was  hailed  with  universal  enthusiasm  in  America.  In  its  progress 
for  a  considerable  period,  it  continued  to  maintain   among  us  an 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

almost  unanimous  approbation.  Many  causes  conduced  to  this 
result.  Our  partiality  for  France,  from  a  grateful  recollection  of  her 
services  in  our  o\vn  revolutionary  contest,  was  ardent  and  undisguised. 
It  was  heightened  by  the  consideration,  that  she  was  herself  now 
engaged  in  a  straggle  for  liberty,  and  was  endeavoring  to  shake  off 
oppressions  under  which  she  had  been  groaning  for  centuries.  The 
monarchs  in  Europe  were  combined  in  a  mighty  league  for  the 
suppression  of  this  new  and  alarming  insurrection  against  the  claims 
of  legitimacy.  It  was  not  difficult  to  foresee,  that  if  they  were 
successful  in  this  enterprise,  we  ourselves  had  but  a  questionable 
security  for  our  own  independence.  It  would  be  natural  for  them, 
after  having  completed  their  European  conquests,  to  cast  their  eyes 
to  the  origin  of  the  evil,  and  to  feel  that  their  dynasties  were  not  quite 
safe,  (even  though  the  Atlantic  rolled  between  us  and  them,)  while  a 
living  example  of  liberty,  so  seductive  and  so  striking,  remained  in 
the  western  hemisphere. 

It  may  be  truly  said,  that  our  government  partook  largely  of  the 
general  interest,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  it  in  a  manner  not 
incompatible  with  the  strict  performance  of  the  duties  of  neutrality. 
Mr.  Marshall  was  as  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of  France  as 
any  of  his  considerate  countrymen. 

After  the  death  of  Louis  XVI.,  feelings  of  a  different  sort  began 
to  mix  themselves,  not  only  in  the  public  coimcils,  but  in  private 
life.  Those,  whose  reflections  reached  beyond  the  events  of  the 
day,  began  to  entertain  fears,  lest,  in  our  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of 
France,  we  might  be  plunged  into  war,  and  thus  jeopard  our  own 
vital  interests.  The  task  of  preserving  neutrality  was  of  itself 
sufficiently  difficult  when  the  mass  of  the  people  was  put  in  motion 
by  the  cheering  sounds  of  liberty  and  equality,  which  were  wafted 
on  every  breeze  across  the  Atlantic.  The  duty,  however,  was 
imperative ;  and  the  administration  determined  to  perform  it  with 
the  most  guarded  good  faith. 

The  decided  part  taken  by  Mr.  Marshall  could  not  long  remain 
unnoticed.  He  was  attacked  with  great  asperity  in  the  newspapers 
and  pamphlets  of  the  -day,  and  designated,  by  way  of  significant 
reproach,  as  the  coadjutor  and  friend  of  Alexander  Hamilton. 

Against  these  attacks  he  defended  himself  with  a  zeal  and  ability 
proportioned  to  his  own  sincere  devotion  to  the  cause  which  he 
espoused. 

At  the  spring  election  for  the  state  legislature  in  the  year  1795,  Mr. 
Marshall  was  not  a  candidate;  but  he  was  nevertheless  chosen 

8 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

under  somewhat  peculiar  circumstances.  From  the  time  of  his 
withdrawing  from  the  legislature,  two  opposing  candidates  had 
divided  the  city  of  Richmond;  the  one,  his  intimate  friend,  and 
holding  the  same  political  sentiments  with  himself;  the  other,  a  most 
zealous  partisan  of  the  opposition.  Each  election  between  these 
gentlemen,  who  were  both  popular,  had  been  decided  by  a  small 
majority,  and  the  approaching  contest  was  entirely  doubtful.  Mr. 
Marshall  attended  the  polls  at  an  early  hour,  and  gave  his  vote  for 
his  friend.  While  at  the  polls,  a  gentleman  demanded  that  a  poll 
should  be  opened  for  Mr.  Marshall.  The  latter  was  greatly 
surprised  at  the  proposal,  and  unhesitatingly  expressed  his  dissent; 
at  the  same  time,  he  announced  his  willingness  to  become  a 
candidate  the  next  year.  He  retired  from  the  polls,  and  immediately 
gave  his  attendance  to  the  business  of  one  of  the  courts,  which  was 
then  in  session.  A  poll  was,  however,  opened  for  him  in  his  absence 
by  the  gentleman  who  first  suggested  it,  notwithstanding  his  positive 
refusal.  The  election  was  suspended  for  a  few  minutes  •  a 
consultation  took  place  among  the  freeholders  ;  they  determined  to 
support  him ;  and  in  the  evening  he  received  the  information  of  his 
election.  A  more  honorable  tribute  to  his  merits  could  not  have  been 
paid ;  and  his  election  was  a  most  important  and  timely  measure  in 
favor  of  the  administration. 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  negotiated 
by  Mr.  Jay  in  1794,  was  the  subject  of  universal  discussion  at  this 
period.  No  sooner  was  its  ratification  advised  by  the  senate,  than 
public  meetings  were  called  in  all  our  principal  cities,  for  the  purpose 
of  inducing  the  president  to  withhold  his  ratification,  and  if  this  object 
were  not  attained,  then  to  prevent  in  congress  the  passage  of  the 
appropriations  necessary  to  carry  it  into  effect.  The  topics  of 
animadversion  were  not  confined  to  the  expediency  of  the  treaty  in 
its  principal  provisions,  but  the  bolder  ground  was  assumed,  that 
the  negotiation  of  a  commercial  treaty  by  the  executive  was  an 
unconstitutional  act,  and  an  infringement  of  the  power  given  to 
congress  to  regulate  commerce.  Mr.  Marshall  took  an  active  part 
in  the  discussions  upon  the  treaty.  Feeling,  that  the  ratification  of  it 
was  indispensable  to  the  preservation  of  peace,  that  its  main 
provisions  were  essentially  beneficial  to  the  United  States,  and 
comported  with  its  true  dignity  and  interests  ;  he  addressed  himself 
with  the  most  diligent  attention  to  an  examination  of  the  nature  and 
extent  of  all  its  provisions,  and  of  all  the  obiections  uro-ed  against  it. 
No  state  in  the  Union  exhibited  a  more  intense  hostility  to  it  than 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Virginia,  upon  the  points  both  of  expediency  and  constitutionahty ; 
and  in  no  state  were  the  objections  urged  with  more  impassioned 
and  unsparing  earnestness.  The  task,  therefore,  of  meeting  and 
overthrowing  them  was  of  no  ordinary  magnitude,  and  required  all 
the  resources  of  the  ablest  mind.  Mr.  Marshall  came  to  the  task 
with  a  thorough  mastery  of  every  topic  connected  with  it.  At  a  public 
meetino-  of  the  citizens  of  Richmond  he  carried  a  series  of  resolutions, 
approving  the  conduct  of  the  executive. 

But  a  more  difficult  and  delicate  duty  remained  to  be  performed. 
It  was  easy  to  foresee  that  the  controversy  would  soon  find  its  way 
from  the  public  forum  into  the  legislative  bodies  ;  and  would  be  there 
renewed  with  the    bitter    animosity  of  party  spirit.      Indeed,    so 
unpopular  was  the  treaty  in  Virginia,  that  Mr.  Marshall's  friends 
were  exceedingly  solicitous  that  he  should  avoid  engaging  in  any 
debate  in  the  legislature  on  the  subject,  as  it  would  be  a  sacrifice  of 
the  remains  of  his  well  deserved  popularity ;  and  it  might  be  even 
questioned  if  he  could  there  deliver  his  sentiments  without  exposure 
to  some  rude   attacks.     His  answer  to  all  such  suggestions  was 
uniform  ;  that  he  should  not  move  any  measure  to  excite  a  debate  ; 
but  if  the  subject  were  brought  forward  by  others,  he  should,  at  every 
hazard,  vindicate  the  administration,  and  assert  his  own  opinions. 
He  was  incapable  of  shrinking  from  a  just  expression  of  his  own 
independence.     The  subject  was  soon  introduced  by  his  political 
opponents,   and    the    constitutional    objections    were    urged    with 
triumphant    confidence.      That,    particularly,    which    denied    the 
constitutional  right  of  the    executive    to    conclude  a    commercial 
treaty,  was  selected  and  insisted  on  as  a  favorite  and  unanswerable 
position.     The  speech  of  Mr.  Marshall  on  this  occasion  has  been 
always  represented  as  one  of  the  noblest  efibrts  of  his  genius.     His 
vast  powers  of  reasoning  were  employed  with  the  most  gratifying 
success.      He    demonstrated,    not    only    from    the    words    of   the 
constitution,  and  the  universal  practice  of  nations,  that  a  commercial 
treaty  was  within  the  constitutional  powers  of  the  executive,  but 
that  this  opinion  had  been  maintained    and    sanctioned    by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  by  the  whole  delegation  of  Virginia  in  congress,  and  by 
the  leading  members  in  the  convention  on  both  sides.     His  argument 
was  decisive;   the  constitutional  ground  was  abandoned;  and  the 
resolutions  of  the  assembly  were  confined  to  a  simple  disapprobation 
of  the  treaty  in  point  of  expediency. 

The  constitutional  objections  were  again  urged  in  congress  in  the 
celebrated  debate  on  the  British  treaty,  in  the  spring  of  1796;  and 

10 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

there  finally  assumed  the  mitigated  shape  of  a  right  claimed  on  the 
part  of  congress  to  grant  or  withhold  appropriations  to  carry  treaties 
into  effect.  Tlie  higher  ground,  that  commercial  treaties  were  not, 
when  ratified,  the  supreme  law  of  the  land,  was  abandoned ;  and  the 
subsequent  practice  of  the  government  has,  without  question,  under 
every  administration,  conformed  to  the  construction  vindicated  by 
Mr.  Marshall.  The  fame  of  this  admirable  argument  spread 
through  the  Union.  Even  with  his  political  enemies,  it  enhanced  the 
elevation  of  his  character ;  and  it  brought  him  at  once  to  the  notice 
of  some  of  the  most  eminent  statesmen  who  then  graced  our  public 
councils. 

After  this  period.  President  Washington  invited  Mr.  Marshall  to 
accept  the  office  of  attorney  general ;  but  he  declined  it,  upon  the 
ground  of  its  interference  with  his  lucrative  practice  in  Virginia. 
He  continued  in  the  state  legislature;  but  did  not,  from  his  other 
engagements,  take  an  active  part  in  the  ordinary  business.  He 
confined  his  attention  principally  to  those  questions  which  involved 
the  main  interests  of  the  country,  and  brought  into  discussion  the 
policy  and  the  principles  of  the  national  parties. 

Upon  the  recall  of  Mr.  Monroe  as  minister,  from  France,  President 
Washington  solicited  Mr.  Marshall  to  accept  the  appointment  as 
his  successor ;  but  he  respectfully  declined,  and  General  Pinckney, 
of  South  Carolina,  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  not,  however,  long  permitted  to  act  upon  his 
own  judgment  and  choice.  The  French  government  refused  to 
receive  General  Pinckney,  as  minister  from  the  United  States ;  and 
the  administration,  being  sincerely  anxious  to  exhaust  every  measure 
of  conciliation,  not  incompatible  with  the  national  dignity,  for  the 
preservation  of  peace,  resorted  to  the  extraordinary  measure  of 
sending  a  commission  of  three  envoys.  Within  a  year  from  the 
time  of  the  first  offer,  Mr.  Adams  having  succeeded  to  the  presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Marshall  one  of  these  envoys,  in  conjunction  with 
General  Pinckney  and  Mr.  Gerry. 

After  some  hesitation,  Mr.  Marshall  accepted  the  appointment, 
and  soon  afterward  embarked  for  Amsterdam.  On  his  arrival  at  the 
Hague  he  met  General  Pinckney,  and  having  received  passports  they 
proceeded  to  Paris.  The  mission  was  unsuccessful;  the  envoys 
were  never  accredited  by  the  French  government,  and  Mr.  Marshall 
returned  to  America  in  the  summer  of  1798.  Upon  him  principally 
devolved  the  duty  of  preparing  the  official  despatches.  They  have 
been  universally  attributed  to  his  pen,  and  are  models  of  skilful 


JNATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

reasoning,  forcible  illustration,  accurate  detail,  and  urbane  and 
dignified  moderation.  In  the  armals  of  our  diplomacy  there  are  no 
papers  upon  which  an  American  can  look  back  with  more  unmixed 
pride  and  pleasure. 

Mr.  Marshall,  on  his  return  home,  found  that  he  had  sustained 
no  loss  by  a  diminution  of  professional  business,  and  looked 
forward  to  a  resumption  of  his  labors  with  high  hopes.  He  peremp- 
torily refused  for  a  considerable  time  to  become  a  candidate  for 
congress,  and  avowed  his  determination  to  remain  at  the  bar.  At 
this  juncture  he  was  invited  by  General  Washington  to  pass  a  few 
days  at  Mount  Vernon  ;  and  having  accepted  the  invitation,  he  went 
there  in  company  with  Mr.  Justice  Washington,  the  nephew  of  General 
Washington,  and  a  highly  distinguished  judge  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  United  States,  whose  death  the  public  have  recently  had  occa- 
sion to  lament. 

What  took  place  upon  that  occasion  we  happen  to  have  the  good 
fortune  to  know  from  an  authentic  source.  General  Washington  did 
not  for  a  moment  disguise  the  object  of  his  invitation ;  it  was  to  urge 
upon  Mr.  Marshall  and  Mr.  Washington  the  propriety  of  their 
becoming  candidates  for  congress.  Mr.  Washington  yielded  to  the 
wishes  of  his  uncle  without  a  struggle.  But  Mr.  Marshall  resisted 
on  the  ground  of  his  situation,  and  the  necessity  of  attending  to  his 
private  affairs.  The  reply  of  General  Washington  to  these 
suggestions  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  heard  it.  It 
breathed  the  spirit  of  the  loftiest  virtue  and  patriotism.  He  said, 
that  there  were  crises  in  national  affairs  which  made  it  the  duty  of  a 
citizen  to  forego  his  private  for  the  public  interest.  He  considered 
the  country  to  be  then  in  one  of  these.  He  detailed  his  opinions 
freely  on  the  nature  of  the  controversy  with  France,  and  expressed 
his  conviction,  that  the  best  interests  of  America  depended  upon  the 
character  of  the  ensuing  congress.  The  conversation  was  long, 
animated,  and  impressive ;  full  of  the  deepest  interest,  and  the  most 
unreserved  confidence.  The  exhortation  of  General  Washington 
had  its  effect.  Mr.  Marshall  yielded  to  his  representations,  and 
became  a  candidate,  and  was,  after  an  ardent  contest,  elected,  and 
took  his  seat  in  congress  in  December,  1799.  While  he  was  yet  a 
candidate,  he  was  offered  a  seat  on  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court^ 
then  vacant  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Justice  Iredell.  Upon  his  declining 
it,  President  Adams  appointed  Mr.  Justice  Washington,  who  was  thus 
prevented  from  becoming  a  member  of  congress. 

The  session  of  congress  in  the  winter  of  1799-1800  will  for  ever 

18 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

be  memorable  in  the  annals  of  America.  Men  of  the  highest  talents 
and  most  commanding  influence  in  the  Union  were  there  assembled, 
and  arrayed  with  all  the  hostility  of  party  spirit,  and  all  the  zeal  of 
conscious  responsibility,  against  each  other.  Every  important 
measure  of  the  administration  was  subjected  to  the  most  scrutinizing 
criticism ;  and  was  vindicated  with  a  warmth  proportionate  to  the 
ability  of  the  attack.  Mr.  Marshall  took  an  active  part  in  the 
debates,  and  distinguished  himself  in  a  manner  which  will  not 
easily  be  forgotten. 

In  May,  1800,  Mr.  Marshall  was,  without  the  slightest  personal 
communication,  nominated  by  the  president  to  the  ofiice  of  secretary 
of  war,  upon  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  M' Henry.  We  believe  that  the 
first  information  received  of  it  by  Mr.  Marshall  was  at  the 
department  itself,  where  he  went  to  transact  some  business  previous 
to  his  return  to  Virginia.  He  immediately  wrote  a  letter,  requesting 
the  nomination  to  be  withdrawn  by  the  president.  It  was  not ;  and 
his  appointment  was  confirmed  by  the  senate.  The  rupture  between 
the  president  and  Colonel  Pickering,  who  was  then  secretary  of 
state,  soon  afterwards  occurred,  and  Mr.  Marshall  was  appointed 
his  successor.  This  was  indeed  an  appointment  in  every  view  most 
honorable  to  his  merits,  and  for  which  he  was  in  the  highest  degree 
qualified. 

On  the  31st  day  of  January,  1801,  he  became  chief  justice  of  the 
United  States,  and  has  continued  ever  since  that  period  to  fill  the 
ofiice  with  increasing  reputation  and  unsullied  dignity. 

Splendid,  indeed,  as  has  been  the  judicial  career  of  this  eminent 
man,  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  extent  of  his  labors,  the  vigor  of 
his  intellect,  or  the  untiring  accuracy  of  his  learning,  should  be  duly 
estimated,  except  by  the  profession  of  which  he  is  so  great  an 
ornament.  Questions  of  law  rarely  assume  a  cast  which  introduces 
them  to  extensive  public  notice;  and  those,  which  require  the 
highest  faculties  of  mind  to  master  and  expound,  are  commonly  so 
intricate  and  remote  from  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life,  that  the 
generality  of  readers  do  not  bring  to  the  examination  of  them  the 
knowledge  necessary  to  comprehend  them,  or  the  curiosity  which 
imparts  a  relish  and  flavor  to  them.  For  the  most  part,  therefore,  the 
reputation  of  judges  is  confined  to  the  narrow  limits  which  embrace 
the  votaries  of  jurisprudence  ;  and  many  of  those  exquisite 
judgments,  which  have  cost  days  and  nights  of  the  most  elaborate 
study,  and  for  power  of  thought,  beauty  of  illustration,  variety  of 
learning,  and  elegant  demonstration,  are  justly  numbered  among  the 

13 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

highest  reaches  of  the  human  mind,  find  no  admiration  beyond  the 
ranks  of  lawyers,  and  hve  only  in  the  dusty  repositories  of  their 
oracles.  The  fame  of  the  warrior  is  for  ever  imbodied  in  the  history 
of  his  country,  and  is  colored  with  the  warm  lights  reflected  back  by 
the  praise  of  many  a  distant  age.  The  orator  and  the  statesman  live 
not  merely  in  the  recollections  of  their  powerful  eloquence,  or  the 
deep  impressions  made  by  them  on  the  character  of  the  generation 
in  which  they  lived,  but  are  brought  forth  for  public  approbation  in 
political  debates,  in  splendid  volumes,  in  collegiate  declamations, 
in  the  works  of  rhetoricians,  in  the  school-books  of  boys,  and  in  the 
elegant  extracts  of  maturer  life. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  upon  a  minute  survey  of  the  oflicial 
labors  of  Mr.  Chief  Justice  Marshall.  However  instructive  or 
interesting  such  a  course  might  be  to  the  profession,  the  considerations 
already  adverted  to,  sufliciently  admonish  us  that  it  would  not  be  very 
welcome  to  the  mass  of  other  readers.  But  there  is  one  class  of 
cases  which  ou^ht  not  to  be  overlooked,  because  it  comes  home  to 
the  business  and  bosom  of  every  citizen  of  this  country,  and  is  felt  in 
every  gradation  of  life,  from  the  chief  magistrate  down  to  the  inmate 
of  the  cottage.  We  allude  to  the  grave  discussions  of  constitutional 
law,  which  during  his  time  have  attracted  so  much  of  the  talents  of 
the  bar  in  the  supreme  court,  and  sometimes  agitated  the  whole 
nation.  If  all  others  of  the  Chief  Justice's  juridical  arguments  had 
perished,  his  luminous  judgments  on  these  occasions  would  have 
given  an  enviable  immortality  to  his  name. 

There  is  in  the  discharge  of  this  delicate  and  important  duty, 
which  is  peculiar  to  our  institutions,  a  moral  grandeur  and  interest, 
which  it  is  not  easy  to  over-estimate  either  in  a  political  or  civil  view. 
In  no  other  country  on  earth  are  the  acts  of  the  legislature  liable  to 
be  called  in  question,  and  even  set  aside,  if  they  do  not  conform  to 
the  standard  of  the  constitution.  Even  in  England,  where  the 
principles  of  civil  liberty  are  cherished  with  uncommon  ardor,  and 
private  justice  is  administered  with  a  pure  and  elevated  independence, 
the  acts  of  parliament  are,  by  the  very  theory  of  the  government,  in 
a  legal  sense,  omnipotent.  They  cannot  be  gainsaid  or  overruled- 
They  form  the  law  of  the  land,  which  controls  the  prerogative  and 
even  the  descent  of  the  crown  itself,  and  may  take  away  the  life  and 
property  of  the  subject  without  trial  and  without  appeal.  The  only 
security  is  in  the  moderation  of  parliament  itself  and  representative 
responsibility.  The  case  is  far  otherwise  in  America.  The  state 
and  national  constitutions  form  the  siqireme  laio  of  the  land,  and 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

the  judges  are  sworn  to  maintain  these  charters  of  hberty,  or  rather 
these  special  delegations  of  power  by  the  people,  (who  in  our 
governments  are  alone  the  depositeries  of  supreme  authority  and 
sovereignty,)  in  their  original  vigor  and  true  intendment.  It  matters 
not  how  popular  a  statute  may  be,  or  how  commanding  the  majority 
by  which  it  has  been  enacted;  it  must  stand  the  test  of  the 
constitution,  or  it  falls.  The  humblest  citizen  may  question  its 
constitutionality;  and  its  final  fate  must  be  settled  upon  grave 
argument  and  debate  by  the  judges  of  the  land. 

This  topic  is  so  copious,  and  of  such  everlasting  consequence  to 
the  well-being  of  this  republic,  that  it  furnishes  matter  for  volumes ; 
but  we  must  escape  from  it  with  the  brief  hints  already  suggested, 
and  resume  our  previous  subject. 

Nor  is  this  the  mere  theory  of  the  constitution.  It  is  a  function 
which  has  been  often  performed ;  and  not  a  few  acts  of  state  as  well 
as  of  national  legislation,  have  been  brought  to  this  severe  scrutiny ; 
and  after  the  fullest  consideration,  some  have  been  pronounced  to  be 
void,  because  they  were  unconstitutional.  And  these  judgments 
have  been  acquiesced  in,  and  obeyed,  even  when  they  were  highly 
offensive  to  the  pride  and  sovereignty  of  the  state  itself,  or  affected 
private  and  public  interests  to  an  incalculable  extent.  Such,  in 
America,  is  the  majesty  of  the  law.  Such  is  the  homage  of  a  free 
people  to  the  institutions  created  by  themselves. 

It  is  impossible  even  to  look  forward  to  the  period,  when, 
according  to  the  course  of  human  events,  the  grave  must  close  upon 
his  labors,  without  a  profound  melancholy.  Such  men  as  he  are  not 
the  ornaments  of  every  and  any  age;  they  arise  only  at  distant 
intervals  to  enlighten  and  elevate  the  human  race.  They  are  beings 
of  a  superior  order,  belonging  only  to  centuries,  and  designed  by  the 
beneficence  of  Providence  to  work  deeply  and  powerfully  upon 
human  affiiirs.  As  the  American  nation  advances  in  its  general 
population  and  wealth,  the  constitution  is  arriving  at  more  and  more 
critical  periods  of  the  trial  of  its  principles.  The  warmest  patriots 
begin  to  hesitate  in  their  confidence  whether  a  system  of  government 
so  free,  and  so  beneficent,  so  just  to  popular  rights,  and  so  true  toward 
natural  interests,  can  and  will  be  enduring.  The  boldest  and  most 
sanguine  admirers  of  republics  are  pausing,  as  upon  the  eve  of 
new  events,  and  new  inquiries.  They  perceive,  that  it  is  more  than 
possible,  that  prosperity  may  corrupt  or  enervate  us,  as  it  has  done 
all  former  republics.  That  there  are  elements  of  change  and 
perturbations,   which    have  not   hitherto  been  subjected   to    rigid 

IS 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

calculation,  which  may  endanger,  nay,  which  may  perhaps  over- 
throw, the  system  of  movements,  so  beautifully  put  together,  and  bring 
on  a  common  ruin  as  fearful  and  as  desolating,  as  any  which  the  old 
world  has  exhibited.  In  the  contemplation  of  such  a  state  of  things, 
who  would  not  lament  the  extinction  of  such  a  mind  as  that  of  the 
Chief  Justice  ?  Who  would  not  earnestly  implore  the  continuance 
of  that  influence,  which  has  hitherto,  through  all  the  mutations  of 
party,  borne  him  along  with  the  public  favor,  as  at  once  the 
wisest  of  guides  and  the  truest  of  friends.  When  can  we  expect  to 
be  permitted  to  behold  again  so  much  moderation  united  with  so 
much  firmness,  so  much  sagacity  with  so  much  modesty,  so  much 
learning  with  so  much  experience,  so  much  solid  wisdom  with 
so  much  purity,  so  much  of  every  thing  to  love  and  admire,  with 
nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  to  regret  ?  What,  indeed,  strikes  us  as 
the  most  remarkable  in  his  whole  character,  even  more  than  his 
splendid  talents,  is  the  entire  consistency  of  his  public  life  and 
principles.  There  is  nothing  in  either  which  calls  for  apology  or 
concealment.  Ambition  has  never  seduced  him  from  his  principles, 
nor  popular  clamor  deterred  him  from  the  strict  performance  of  duty. 
Amid  the  extravagances  of  party  spirit,  he  has  stood  with  a  calm 
and  steady  inflexibility ;  neither  bending  to  the  pressure  of  adversity, 
nor  bounding  with  the  elasticity  of  success.  He  has  lived  as  such  a 
man  should  live,  (and  yet  how  few  deserve  the  commendation,)  by  and 
with  his  principles.  Whatever  changes  of  opinion  have  occurred  in 
the  course  of  his  long  life,  have  been  gradual  and  slow ;  the  results  of 
genius  acting  upon  larger  materials,  and  of  judgment  matured  by  the 
lessons  of  experience.  If  we  were  tempted  to  say  in  one  word  what 
it  was  in  which  he  chiefly  excelled  other  men,  we  should  say  in 
wisdom ;  in  the  union  of  that  virtue,  which  has  ripened  under  the 
hardy  discipline  of  principles,  with  that  knowledge,  which  has 
constantly  sifted  and  refined  its  old  treasures,  and  as  constantly 
gathered  new.  The  constitution,  since  its  adoption,  owes  more  to  him 
than  to  any  other  single  mind,  for  its  true  interpretation  and 
vindication.  Whether  it  lives  or  perishes,  his  exposition  of  its 
principles  will  be  an  enduring  monument  to  his  fame,  as  long  as 
solid  reasoning,  profound  analysis,  and  sober  views  of  government, 
shall  invite  the  leisure,  or  command  the  attention  of  statesmen  and 
jurists. 

But  interesting  as  it  is,  to  contemplate  such  a  man  in  his  public 
character  and  official  functions,  there  are  those  who  dwell  with  far 
more  delight  upon  his  private  and  domestic  qualities.     There  are  few 

16 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  MARSHALL. 

great  men  to  whom  one  is  brought  near,  however  dazzHng  may  be 
their  talents  or  actions,  who  are  not  thereby  painfully  diminished  in 
the  estimate  of  those  who  approach  them.  The  mist  of  distance 
sometimes  gives  a  looming  size  to  their  character ;  but  more  often 
conceals  its  defects.  To  be  amiable,  as  well  as  great,  to  be  kind, 
gentle,  simple,  modest,  and  social ;  and  at  the  same  time  to  possess  the 
rarest  endowments  of  mind,  and  the  warmest  affections,  is  a  union  of 
qualities  which  the  fancy  may  fondly  portray,  but  the  sober  realities 
of  life  rarely  establish.  Yet  it  may  be  affirmed  by  those  wlio  have 
had  the  privileges  of  intimacy  with  Mr.  Chief  Justice  Marshall, 
that  he  rises,  rather  than  falls,  with  the  nearest  surveys ;  and  that  in 
the  domestic  circle  he  is  exactly  what  a  wife,  a  child,  a  brother,  and 
a  friend  would  most  desire.  In  that  magical  circle,  admiration  of  his 
talents  is  forgotten  in  the  indulgence  of  those  affections  and  sensibili- 
ties, which  are  awakened  only  to  be  gratified.  More  might  be  said 
with  truth,  if  we  were  not  admonished  that  he  is  yet  living,  and  his 
delicacy  might  be  wounded  by  any  attempt  to  fill  up  the  outline  of  his 
more  private  life.  Besides  his  judicial  labors,  the  Chief  Justice  has 
contributed  a  valuable  addition  to  the  historical  and  biographical 
literature  of  the  country.  He  is  the  author  of  the  Life  of  Washington, 
and  of  the  History  of  the  American  Colonies,  originally  prefixed  to 
the  former  work;  but  in  the  second  edition,  with  great  propriety, 
detached  from  it.  Each  of  these  works  has  been  so  long-  and  so 
favorably  known  to  the  public,  that  it  is  wholly  unnecessary  to  enter 
upon  a  critical  examination  of  them  in  this  place.  They  have  all  the 
leading  features  which  ought  to  distinguish  historical  compositions  ; 
fidelity,  accuracy,  impartiality,  dignity  of  narrative,  and  simplicity 
and  purity  of  style.  The  Life  of  Washington  is  indeed  entitled  to  a 
very  high  rank,  as  it  was  prepared  from  a  diligent  perusal  of  the 
original  papers  of  that  great  man,  which  were  submitted  to  the  liberal 
use  of  his  biographer.  Probably  no  person  could  have  brought  to  so 
difficult  a  task  more  various  and  apt  qualifications.  The  Chief 
Justice  had  served  through  a  great  part  of  the  revolutionary  war,  and 
was  familiar  with  most  of  the  scenes  of  Washington's  exploits.  He 
had  also  long  enjoyed  his  personal  confidence  and  felt  the  strongest 
admiration  of  his  talents  and  virtues.  He  was  also  an  early  actor  in 
the  great  political  controversies,  which  after  the  revolutionary  war 
agitated  the  whole  country,  and  ended  in  the  establishment  of  the 
national  constitution.  He  was  a  decided  supporter  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  Washington,  and  a  leader  among  his  alile  advocates.  The 
principles  and  the  measures  of  that  administration  had  his  unqualified 

17 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

approbation ;  and  he  has  at  all  times  since  maintained  them  in  Iiis 
public  life  with  a  sobriety  and  uniformity,  which  mark  him  out  as  the 
fittest  example  of  the  excellence  of  that  school  of  patriots  and  states- 
men. If  to  these  circumstances  are  added  his  own  peculiar  cast  of 
mind,  his  deep  sagacity,  his  laborious  diligence,  his  native  candor, 
and  lofty  sense  of  duty,  it  could  scarcely  be  doubted,  that  his  Life  of 
Washington  would  be  invaluable  for  the  truth  of  its  facts  and  the 
accuracy  and  completeness  of  its  narrative.  And  such  has  hitherto 
been,  and  such  ought  for  ever  to  continue  to  be  its  reputation.  It 
does  not  affect  to  deal  with  mere  private  and  personal  anecdotes,  to 
amuse  the  idle  or  the  vicious.  Its  object  is  to  expound  the  character 
and  public  services  of  Washington,  and  to  give  a  faithful  outline  of  his 
principles  and  measures.  To  a  statesman,  in  an  especial  manner, 
the  concluding  volume  is  of  the  highest  importance.  He  may 
there  find  traced  out  with  a  masterly  hand,  and  with  a  sedulous 
impartiality,  the  origin  and  progress  of  the  parties,  which  since  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution,  have  divided  the  United  States.  It  will 
enable  him  to  treasure  up  the  fundamentals  of  constitutional  law ; 
and  to  purify  himself  from  those  generalities,  which  are  so  apt  to 
render  politics,  as  a  science,  impracticable,  and  government,  as  a 
system,  unsteady  and  visionary.  Every  departure  from  the  great 
principles  and  policy  laid  down  by  Washington,  will  be  found  to 
weaken  the  bonds  of  union,  to  jeopard  the  interests,  and  to  shake 
the  solid  foundations  of  the  liberties  of  the  republic. 

In  concluding  this  sketch  we  may  well  apply  to  the  Chief  Justice 
what  Cicero  has  so  gracefully  said  of  an  ancient  orator :  "Nihil  acute 
inveniri  potuit  in  eis  causis,  quas  scripsit,  nihil  (ut  ita  dicam,)  subdole, 
nihil  versute,  quod  ille  non  viderit ;  nihil  subtiliter  dici,  nihil  presse, 
nihil  enucleate,  quo  fieri  possit  limatius." 

13 


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mww£y.mm^  gismipip] 


IlC^/lj 


EDWARD     SHIPPEN. 


In  presenting  the  portrait  of  the  late  Chief  Justice  Shippen,  we  are 
sure  that  we  shall  gratify,  not  only  his  numerous  friends,  by  whom 
his  memory  is  affectionately  cherished,  but  the  public,  who  are 
indebted  to  him  for  many  and  important  services.  He  was,  in  every 
sense,  a  son  of  Pennsylvania,  born  and  educated  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  to  his  native  state  he  devoted  his  labors  and  talents 
during  a  long  and  useful  life.  He  was  born  on  the  sixteenth  day 
of  February,  1729.  His  grandfather,  William  Shippen,  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  fortune  and  family,  in  the  county  of  York,  England ;  and 
his  father,  Edward  Shippen,  emigrated  to  America  about  the  year 
1675.  He  first  settled  in  Boston,  but  removed  to  Philadelphia  about 
the  year  1700,  where  his  character  and  acquirements  soon  obtained 
for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  led  him 
to  various  ofiices  of  honor  and  emolument.  He  became  a  member 
of  the  governor's  council,  a  commissioner  of  the  board  of  property,  a 
judge  of  the  general  court,  and  was  the  first  mayor  of  the  city. 

Edward  Shippen,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  followed  the 
honorable  course  of  his  father,  and  fully  sustained  the  reputation 
derived  from  him.  Having  completed  his  elementary  education 
with  distinguished  diligence  and  success,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  the  law  under  the  direction  of  Finch  Francis,  Esquire,  then  the 
attorney-general  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1748,  Mr.  Shippen,  having 
prosecuted  his  legal  studies  for  about  two  years,  went  to  London  to 
complete  them  in  the  Temple.  In  our  day,  this  is  no  longer  neces- 
sary ;  nor  indeed  are  our  American  youth  required  to  go  abroad  for 
instruction,  in  any  of  the  learned  professions  more  than  in  the 
mechanic  arts.  After  spending  two  years  in  London,  not  in  frivolous 
dissipated  pursuits,  but  in  the  acquirement  of  the  knowledge  of  his 
profession  and  the  general  cultivation  of  his  mind,  Mr.  Shippen  was 
admitted  a  barrister  of  the  Middle  Temple ;  and  he  returned  to  Phila- 
delphia, to  commence  his  career  of  life,  and  enter  upon  the  duties  of 
a  lawyer  and  a  citizen.     He  was  so  occupied,  when  the  war  of  our 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

revolution  interrupted  the  civil  pursuits  of  our  citizens,  and  sus- 
pended, more  or  less,  their  private  business. 

On  the  happy  conclusion  of  this  momentous  struggle,  the  depart- 
ments of  government,  as  well  as  the  occupations  of  the  people, 
returned  to  their  regular  action  and  course.  To  furnish  the  judiciary 
with  men  of  suitable  qualifications,  as  to  character  and  knowledge, 
was  obviously  an  object  of  primary  importance.  Professional  learn- 
ing and  moral  integrity  in  the  administration  of  the  laws,  were  indis- 
pensable to  secure  the  public  confidence  for  the  courts  of  justice  ;  and 
in  seaching  for  them,  Mr.  Shippen  could  not  be  overlooked.  He 
was  accordingly  appointed  president  of  the  court  of  common  pleas 
of  the  county  of  Philadelphia,  a  place  of  high  trust ;  and  was  also 
the  presiding  judge  of  the  court  of  quarter  sessions  for  the  city  and 
county.  These  appointments  were  made  under  the  constitution  of 
the  state,  adopted  in  1776.  A  more  perfect  organization  of  the 
judiciary  was  made  by  the  constitution  of  1790. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Shippen  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
supreme  court,  whose  jurisdiction  extended  over  the  whole  state, 
and  whose  duties  and  powers  called  for  the  highest  grade  of  profes- 
sional learning  and  talents,  as  well  as  of  personal  character  and 
public  confidence.  On  the  election  of  Chief  Justice  M'Kean  to  the 
executive  chair  of  the  commonwealth  in  1799,  Judge  Shippen 
succeeded  him  on  the  bench,  and  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  by 
Governor  M'Kean,  who  was  perfectly  well  acquainted  with  the  quali- 
fications the  ofiice  demanded,  and  with  the  fitness  of  the  person  he 
selected  for  it.  Chief  Justice  Shippen  continued  to  perform  the 
duties  of  his  exalted  station  with  undiminished  ability,  and  unim- 
paired confidence  and  respect,  until  the  close  of  the  year  1805,  when 
the  infirmities  of  age,  he  being  then  nearly  seventy-seven  years  old, 
admonished  him  to  retire  to  repose.  A  few  months  after  his  resig- 
nation of  ofiice,  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  April,  1806,  he  found  his 
final  resting  place,  placidly  leaving  the  world,  in  which,  from  his 
earliest  youth,  he  had  been  conspicuous  for  his  virtues  and  useful- 
ness. The  volumes  of  our  judicial  reports  are  enriched  with  many 
of  his  opinions,  of  great  importance;  and  these  are  now  received 
with  the  same  respect  they  commanded,  when  they  were  sustained 
by  his  personal  and  official  influence  and  authority.  Much  of  our 
law  which  is  now  well  settled,  was,  at  the  period  of  his  judicial 
administration,  in  a  state  of  uncertainty,  long  usages  sometimes 
interfering  with  positive  legislative  enactments.  Principles  were  to 
be  established  suitable  to  our  system  of  jurisprudence,  and  con- 


EDWARD  SHIPPEN. 

structions  to  be  given  to  doubtful  laws.  His  sound  mind,  his  excel- 
lent legal  education  and  great  experience,  his  cool  temper  and 
discriminating  sagacity,  were  all  admirably  calculated  for  the  per- 
formance of  such  functions ;  and  he  did  perform  them  in  a  manner 
to  satisfy  his  contemporaries,  and  to  be  approved  and  unshaken  to 
this  day.  Judicial  qualifications  and  services  are  not  of  a  character 
to  catch  the  multitude,  or  to  be  the  subjects  of  popular  applause  ;  but 
there  is  no  officer  concerned  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of 
a  people,  whose  duties  are  more  anxious  and  arduous  to  himself,  or 
more  important  to  the  community,  than  those  of  the  judge.  The 
preparatory  education  and  long  study;  the  painful  and  attentive 
experience,  which  are  indispensable  for  the  attainment  of  the  quali- 
fications befitting  the  bench ;  the  habits  of  close  and  careful  investi- 
gation ;  the  faculty  of  discovering  the  true  ground  of  controversy, 
of  distinguishing  between  real  and  apparent  resemblances,  between 
sound  reasoning  and  ingenious  sophism ;  the  firmness  never  to  yield 
principles  to  expediency,  nor  to  sacrifice  or  disturb  the  great  system 
of  jurisprudence  for  particular  cases  ;  and  withal,  to  hold  a  perfect 
command  over  every  feeling  that  might  irritate  the  temper  or  mislead 
the  judgment,  present  to  our  contemplation  a  combination  of  rare 
and  valuable  qualities,  deserving  our  highest  consideration  and 
respect.  The  laws  must  be  sustained  with  independence  and  intelli- 
gence, or  it  is  in  vain  that  they  are  wise  and  salutary  ;  justice  must 
be  rendered  faithfully  to  the  parties  who  appeal  for  it  to  the  judicial 
tribunals,  or  it  is  a  mockery  to  promise  them  protection  and  redress. 
The  active,  efficient,  vital  operations  of  the  government  are  performed 
by  the  courts.  No  man  is  so  high  or  so  humble  as  to  be  beyond  their 
reach ;  they  bring  the  laws  into  every  man's  house,  to  punish  or  to 
protect  them.  Such  are  the  responsibilities  of  a  judge.  It  was  on 
the  judgment  seat  of  the  law,  that  the  high  qualities  of  Chief  Justice 
Shippen  were  brought  into  their  best  exercise  and  use.  He  seemed 
by  nature  as  well  as  education  to  have  been  especially  prepared  for 
this  station.  Patient,  learned,  discriminating  and  just,  no  passion  or 
private  interest,  no  selfish  or  unworthy  feeling  of  favor  or  resentment 
ever  held  the  slightest  influence  over  his  conduct  or  decisions. 

Few  situations  expose  the  temper  to  more  irritating  trials  than  that 
of  a  judge.  He  must  occasionally  encounter  ignorance,  imperti- 
nence, stupidity,  obstinacy,  and  chicanery,  and  he  must  take  care 
that  they  do  not  move  him  from  his  line  of  duty.  The  bland 
and  equal  temper  of  Chief  Justice  Shippen  never  forsook  him 
amidst  such  trials,  but,  on  the  contrary,  threw  a  charm  over  his 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

manner  of  repelling  or  submitting  to  them.  The  young  and  the 
timid  advocate  was  encouraged  by  his  kindness,  and  flattered  by  his 
attention.  He  knew  and  practiced  the  lesson  of  Lord  Bacon,  that 
"patience  is  one  of  the  first  duties  of  a  judge ;"  and  he  felt  that  he  was 
bound  to  hear  every  party  and  every  advocate,  before  he  decided  his 
cause.  A  suitor  might  go  from  his  court  disappointed  by  the  judg- 
ment, but  he  could  not  be  dissatisfied  with  the  judge. 

Of  the  private  character  and  deportment  of  Chief  Justice  Shippen, 
it  may  be  truly  said  that  he  has  left  few  imitators  of  his  manners. 
His  politeness  was  of  the  kind  that  has  its  foundations  in  a  well 
reo-ulated  temper  and  the  best  feelings  of  a  benevolent  heart,  polished 
by  a  familiar  intercourse,  from  his  birth,  with  refined  society.  He 
combined,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  benignity  with  dignity,  conciliating 
the  affections  while  he  commanded  a  perfect  respect ;  and,  as  a  valua- 
ble citizen,  and  an  accomplished  lawyer  and  judge,  remarkable  for 
the  great  extent  and  minute  accuracy  of  his  knowledge,  he  must  ever 
be  conspicuous,  among  those  worthies  who  have  won,  by  their  virtues 
and  their  talents,  an  imperishable  name. 


Knjravra  byRW  Uodson  fto'n  »Ku»tin<,t)-T  Si,  , 


?vis)5fiijm^\j^  <5;®sm5riF^£s:$5'  wiiSoasix^ssc^ 


JONATHAN     WILLIAMS. 


It  is  an  agreeable  task  to  commemorate  a  virtuous  and  useful  life. 
If  it  be  a  worldly  favor  to  the  hand  that  presents  the  sword  of  honor 
to  the  victor,  or  the  decoration  to  successful  merit,  it  is  a  quiet,  but 
not  less  grateful  privilege,  to  be,  to  the  deserving,  the  channel  of  their 
remembrance  and  praise. 

Jonathan  Williams,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was 
a  merchant  in  Boston,  much  respected  and  largely  engaged  there  in 
commercial  affairs.  He  was  among  the  patriots  of  Massachusetts 
who  took  part  in  the  struggle  of  the  colonists  against  Great  Britain ; 
and  in  1774  was  chairman  of  the  memorable  meeting  at  Faneuil 
Hall  in  Boston,  where  it  was  voted  "  that  the  tea  should  not  be 
landed  ;  that  no  duty  should  be  paid  on  it ;  and  that  it  should  be 
sent  back  to  England  in  the  ships  which  had  conveyed  it  to  this 
country."  This  may  show  that  he  was  an  approved  whig,  and  an 
influential  citizen.  A  further  allusion  to  this  incident  may  be  given 
more  appropriately  hereafter. 

Jonathan  Williams,  his  son,  was  born  in  Boston,  in  the  year 
1750,  and  received  from  his  childhood,  the  best  English  education 
which  the  opportunities  of  that  place  then  afforded.  Intended  for 
the  profession  of  his  father,  he  was  taken  from  school  before  his 
studies  were  completed,  and  placed  in  a  counting-house.  Anxious 
to  improve  himself,  he  devoted  his  evenings  and  other  leisure 
moments  to  the  acquirement  of  knowledge  ;  in  this  manner  he  gained 
considerable  proficiency  in  the  classics,  and  a  ready  and  familiar 
acquaintance  with  the  French  language,  both  in  speaking  and 
writing  it.  In  the  course  of  his  commercial  pursuits,  he  made  many 
voyages,  in  which  he  visited  most  of  the  West-India  Islands,  as  well 
as  various  parts  of  Europe.  His  letters  from  these  places,  upon 
business  and  of  general  reflection,  display  much  maturity  of  observa- 
tion and  judgment.  In  the  year  1770,  he  first  went  to  England  with 
his  brother,  and  an  uncle,  Mr.  John  Williams,  who  had  been  a  local 
commissioner  under  the  British  government.      On  his  arrival  in 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

London,  he  was  received  with  the  greatest  kindness  by  Dr.  Franklin, 
(who  was  his  grand-uncle,)  and  taken  by  him  to  his  house,  which 
he  insisted  should  be  his  residence  during  his  stay  in  England. 
Having  remained  about  a  year  in  that  country,  and  travelled  during 
that  time  through  a  considerable  part  of  it,  Mr.  Williams  returned 
to  America.  In  1773,  he  again  went  to  England.  In  consequence 
of  his  connection  with  Dr.  Franklin,  he  was  intrusted,  on  his  various 
commercial  voyages  to  and  from  his  country,  with  letters  and  com- 
munications, on  the  then  engrossing  subject  of  the  political  relations 
between  England  and  America  ;  by  this  means  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  prominent  men  of  that  day,  and  though  then  very  young, 
in  ^lental  cultivation  and  resources,  he  was  their  fit  companion. 

In  a  letter  written  about  the  year  1774,  and  addressed  to  his  father, 
he  says,  "  After  seeing  my  merchants,  I  went  to  see  the  doctor,  (Frank- 
lin,) whom  I  found  in  exceeding  good  health  and  spirits  ;  and  was 
welcomed  by  him  with  a  degree  of  joy  and  affection,  which  surpassed 
even  the  expectations  I  had  formed  from  the  former  proofs  I  received 
of  extensive  goodness  and  friendship.  I  waited  on  my  uncle,  but  he 
was  not  at  home, — went  then  to  Lord  Dartmouth's,  (colonial  secre- 
tary,) at  whose  levee  I  met  my  uncle.  After  sending  my  name  and 
business,  I  was  immediately  admitted  to  his  lordship,  who  received 
me  with  great  poHteness.  When  he  had  read  the  letters,  he  asked 
me  many  questions,  which  I  answered  as  well  as  I  was  able.  I  told 
him  of  the  opinion  of  the  people,  their  firmness,  their  determination, 
and  their  intention  of  a  junction  of  the  colonies ;  which  I  delivered, 
perhaps  not  in  polite,  but  in  American  language.  I  left  out  nothing 
which  I  thought  would  give  his  lordship  a  true  idea  of  the  impor- 
tance and  virtue  of  the  Americans ;  and  having  the  strictest  truth 
for  my  guide,  I  was  not  in  the  least  confused  nor  abashed,  but  spoke 
as  I  would  to  any  other  man.  He  heard  me  with  great  politeness ; 
and  although  I  frequently  discovered  a  sense  of  the  impropriety  of 
the  administration,  he  seemed  pleased.  He  then  asked  me  my  private 
opinion.  'Mr.  Williams,'  said  he,  'I  wish  to  come  at  truth;  and 
as  a  man  alone,  shall  be  glad  of  your  sentiments  with  regard  to  the 
disposition  of  the  Americans.  I  ask  it  as  a  private  gentleman  ;  this 
conversation  is  confidential ;  and,  you  may  depend,  I  shall  make  no 
public  use  of  what  you  may  tell  me.'  I  made  some  little  apology  for 
my  inferiority  in  point  of  abilities,  but  said,  that  as  he  had  assured 
me  we  were  private  gentlemen,  I  would  relate  to  him  all  I  knew ;  but 
being  unused  to  elegant  addresses,  I  should  presume  on  his  indul- 
gence, and  deliver  my  sentiments  in  my  own  imadorned  way,  and 


JONATHAN   WILLIAMS. 

endeavor  to  utter  simple  truths,  without  confounding  the  matter,  by- 
seeking  to  embelUsh  the  manner.     I  then  told  him  that  the  Ame- 
ricans never  would  submit ;  that  they  would  not  be  surprised  when 
the  other  acts  should  arrive ;  that  they  expected  the  worst,  and  were 
accordingly  prepared ;  that  I  believed  the  junction  would  take  place ; 
and  that  they  thought  now  or  never  was  the  time  5  that  they  supposed 
by  submission  they  would  make  themselves  the  most  abject  slaves  on 
earth ;  and  that  by  opposition  they  could  not  be  worse ;  that  parlia- 
ment had  no  right  to  tax  them ;  that  they  would  die  by  this  opinion  ; 
and  that  a  universal  non-exportation  agreement  would  be  attended 
with  salutary  effects.     His  lordship,  after  some  time,  asked  me  if  1 
knew  '  Mr.  Williams,  who  appears  as  moderator  of  that  assembly,' 
(the  meeting  at  Faneuil  Hall.)     'He  is  my  father,  my  lord.'     'And 
is  your  father  a  principal  in  those  disturbances  !     Mr.  Williams, 
how  comes  that,  sir?'     '  My  father,  my  lord,  is  an  honest  man,  and 
one  who  seeks  not  fame.     He  was  in  that  meeting  as  any  other 
man  might  be,  and  when  chosen,  was  much  surprised ;  he  excused 
himself  as  being  unacquainted  with  the  office ;  and  on  the  motion 
being  put,  and  passed  in  the  negative,  he  therefore  officiated.     My 
father,  my  lord,  has  been  so  little,  heretofore,  engaged  in  political  dis- 
putes, that  I  was  as  much  surprised  as  I  should  be,  had  your  lordship 
been  in  the  desk.     But,  my  lord,  I  am  only  relating  facts  :  it  is  not 
for  me  to  dispute  on  the  merit  or  demerit  of  my  father's  conduct,  but 
I  am  sure  he  acted  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and 
upon  honest  principle ;  and  thus  acting,  I  hope  your  lordship  will 
not  think  him  wrong,  though  you  may  not  agree  in  sentiment.'     He 
smiled,  and  after  paying  me  a  compliment  for  my  plainness  and 
freedom,  said,  laughingly,  '  So,  then,  your  father  may  say  with  Fal- 
staff,  '  some  men  are  in  pursuit  of  honors,  but  others  have  Iionors  in 
pursuit  of  them.' " 

Again,  in  a  letter  written  in  September,  1774,  he  says,  "With 
regard  to  politics,  nothing  has  occurred ;  nor  do  I  think  any  thing 
will  happen  till  the  parliament  sits,  when  I  dare  say  there  will  be 
warm  work,  and  I  have  great  hope  that  American  affairs  will  wear 
a  better  aspect ;  for  the  ministry,  I  have  reason  to  think,  will  find  a 
greater  opposition  than  they  expect.  Unanimity  and  firmness  must 
gain  the  point.  I  can't  help  repeating  it,  though  I  believe  I  have 
written  it  twenty  times  before.  The  newspapers,  which  used  to 
be  the  vehicles  of  all  kinds  of  abuse  on  the  poor  Bostonians,  are 
now  full  of  pieces  in  our  favor.  Here  and  there  an  impertinent 
scribbler,  like  an  expiring  candle  flashing  from  the  socket,  shows, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

by  his  scurrility,  the  wealmess  of  his  cause,  and  the  corruptness 
of  his  heart." 

In  the  follo^\dng  year  he  made  a  short  visit  to  France,  of  which, 
in  one  of  his  letters,  dated  London,  May  5,  1775,  he  thus  speaks.  It 
is  deemed  proper  to  extract  from  it ;  for  it  contains  a  forecast  of 
events  which  history  soon  after  proved  literally  true.  He  says,  "  I 
have  passed  two  months  in  the  most  agreeable  manner  possible, 
except  with  regard  to  my  reflections  relative  to  my  unhappy  country, 
which  always  attend  me  wherever  I  go.  I  found  throughout  France, 
a  general  attention  to  our  disputes  with  Britain,  and  to  a  man,  all 
that  country  are  in  our  favor.  They  suppose  England  to  have 
arrived  at  its  pinnacle  of  glory,  and  that  the  empire  of  America  Mall 
rise  on  the  ruins  of  this  kingdom ;  and  I  really  believe,  that  when 
we  shall  be  involved  in  civil  war,  they  will  gladly  embrace  the  first 
opportunity  of  renewing  their  attacks  on  an  old  enemy,  who  they 
imagine  will  be  so  weakened  by  its  internal  broils,  as  to  become  an 
easy  conquest.  Although  I  profess  myself  an  American,  I  am  still 
an  Englishman  ;  I  only  wish  the  titles  to  be  synonymous  ;  and  there- 
fore do  not  hope  for  the  destruction  of  this  country ;  I  only  wish  the 
prosperity  of  my  own ;  and  that  its  rights  and  privileges  may  ever 
remain  inviolate ;  to  secure  which,  no  sacrifice  should  be  thought 
too  dear :  so  I  do  not  give  the  French  so  much  credit  for  their  par- 
tiality, for  I  believe  it  to  proceed  in  general  more  from  a  hatred  to 
England,  than  a  love  to  us ;  though  in  some  particulars,  I  believe 
the  natural  rights  of  humanity  are  the  basis  of  their  opinions." 

With  the  hope  peculiar  to  the  buoyant  spirit  of  youth,  that  the 
difierences  between  the  two  countries  would  still  be  justly  settled, 
and  that  the  firmness  of  his  country  would  produce  its  desired  eflect 
upon  the  British  government  and  people,  Mr.  Williams  had  nearly 
completed  a  mercantile  connection  with  a  West-India  house  of  large 
capital  and  extensive  trade,  when  the  political  separation  of  the  two 
countries  induced  him  to  quit  England  and  reside  in  France.  His 
determination  and  views  are  expressed  in  a  letter  from  Nantes,  in 
1777.  "  When  I  wrote  to  you  from  England,  I  was  in  the  expecta- 
tion of  taking  up  my  residence  in  that  country.  The  scene  is  now 
changed ;  and  since  it  became  a  question,  which  of  the  two  countries 
I  would  prefer  in  a  separate  state,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  quit  all  my 
lucrative  views,  and  to  come  hither,  to  do  all  the  service  I  can, 
without  expectation  of  further  emolument  than  a  subsistence.  It 
is  not  improbable,  that  I  shall  engage  in  the  American  trade  in 
some  part  of  France,  or  return  to  some  part  of  America,  charged 


JONATHAN   WILLIAMS. 

with  the  management  of  commercial  matters.  Whatever  I  do  in 
this  way  will  be  upon  a  large  scale,  and  whilst  I  am  doing  essential 
service  to  my  country,  I  may  advance  my  own  fortune.  In  this, 
however,  I  make  a  distinction  ;  whatever  I  am  capable  of  doing  for 
the  benefit  of  the  cause,  I  will  undertake  with  pleasure,  gratis ;  but 
otherwise,  in  all  commercial  engagements  with  individuals  of  ano- 
ther nation."  Let  it  be  added,  that  at  this  time  he  numbered 
Robert  Morris,  of  Pennsylvania,  among  his  American  correspond- 
ents, and  that  his  letters  to  that  eminent  man  are  filled  with  similar 
good  sense  and  love  of  country,  to  those  already  given. 

The  early  destiny  of  Mr.  Williams  separated  him  from  the  land, 
whose  struggle  for  freedom  deeply  and  constantly  interested  him — 
from  the  country  to  which  he  afterwards  lived  to  devote  years  of 
usefulness  and  good  example ;  but  the  resolve,  contained  in  the 
letter  last  quoted,  of  help,  however  humble,  to  that  country,  is  most 
honorable  to  him.  It  is  known  that  the  young  American  merchant 
strictly  fulfilled  it.  About  this  period,  he  was  appointed  commercial 
agent  of  the  United  States,  and  resided  principally  at  Nantes.  In 
September,  1779,  he  was  married  to  Mariamne,  the  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Alexander,  formerly  of  Edinburgh,  at  the  hotel  of  the  Dutch 
ambassador  at  Paris ;  Dr.  Franklin,  then  minister  from  the  United 
States,  being  present  at  the  ceremony.  In  1783,  he  received  a  com- 
mission from  the  Farmers  General  of  France,  to  supply  them  with 
tobacco,  which  was  then,  as  it  now  is,  a  government  monopoly. 
After  this  appointment,  he  removed  to  St.  Germain's,  where  he 
resided  until  1785,  when  he  returned  with  Dr.  Franklin  to  the 
United  States.  He  remained  in  this  country  about  four  years, 
arranging  his  mercantile  affairs  ;  a  task  which,  in  consequence  of  the 
uncertain  state  of  the  commercial  world,  was  attended  with  difii- 
culties  and  pecuniary  sacrifices.  He  sailed  for  England  for  the  last 
time  in  1798,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  his  family  to  Philadelphia, 
which  he  had  selected  as  the  place  of  his  future  residence.  This 
determination  was  induced  by  his  desire  to  be  near  his  earliest,  best, 
and  kindest  friend,  Dr.  Franklin :  but  he  was  met  on  his  return  in 
1790,  with  the  melancholy  news  of  the  death  of  that  eminent  man, 
which  had  taken  place  a  short  time  before.  He  purchased  a  country 
seat  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill,  near  Philadelphia,  where  he 
lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  every  social  and  domestic  tie  ;  diversifying 
his  employments,  in  the  duties  of  a  useful  citizen,  and  in  the  pursuit 
of  those  studies  congenial  to  his  mind.  Mathematical  investigation, 
botany,  medicine, — the  law  itself, — were  all  included  in  his  quiet  but 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

vigorous  habits  of  research ;  and  he  acquired  enough  of  the  last 
mentioned  science,  to  be,  for  several  years,  an  intelligent  and  valuable 
judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  in  Philadelphia. 

In  1794,  he  accompanied  the  forces  sent  to  quell  the  western 
insurrection  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  talent  for  investigation  possessed  by  Mr.  Williams  has  been 
alluded  to ;  let  an  instance  be  given,  where  this  habit  resulted  in 
good  to  the  public.  In  consequence  of  his  connection  with  the  Ame- 
rican post-office,  Dr.  Franklin  had  occasion  to  notice  the  fact,  that 
the  English  packets  were  generally  two  weeks  longer  in  crossing  the 
Atlantic  than  the  American  vessels.  An  old  sea-captain  explained 
this  to  him,  by  observing  that  the  commanders  of  the  former  were 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  limits,  and  almost  of  the  existence,  of  the 
gulf-stream,  and  had  therefore  to  overcome  a  strong  current,  which 
was  carefully  avoided  by  our  countrymen :  he  mentioned  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  current  might  always  be  discovered  by  the 
warmth  of  the  water,  which  was  much  greater  than  that  of  the 
surrounding  ocean.  This  suggestion  Dr.  Franklin  carefully  remem- 
bered ;  and  in  his  several  voyages  across  the  Atlantic,  made  regu- 
lar experiments  with  the  thermometer,  to  ascertain  the  width  and 
direction  of  the  gulf-stream,  which  were  afterwards  communicated 
to  the  American  Philosophical  Society.  [Am.  Phil.  Trans.,  Vol.  II.. 
p.  314.]  Mr.  Williams,  who  had  accompanied  him  on  one  of  his 
voyages,  and  assisted  him  in  his  experiments,  determined  to  repeat 
these  experiments  in  his  future  voyages.  He  did  so,  and  found  that 
the  water,  out  of  soundings,  was  about  ten  degrees  warmer  than  that 
on  the  coast ;  and  it  at  once  occurred  to  him  that  the  thermometer 
might  become  a  useful  nautical  instrument,  for  purposes  far  more 
important  than  the  discovery  of  currents.  He  repeated  these  experi- 
ments, until  he  ascertained  beyond  all  doubt  the  accuracy  of  his  first 
supposition ;  and  the  result  was  laid  before  the  American  Philoso- 
phical Society,  in  the  year  1790.     [Am.  Phil.  Trans.,  Vol.  III.,  p.  82.] 

He  there  shows  most  clearly,  that  the  water  over  banks  is  colder 
than  that  of  the  main  ocean,  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  its  depth ;  and 
that  by  the  simple  use  of  the  thermometer,  vessels  may  guard  against 
unseen  dangers,  and  approach  a  coast  with  a  security  previously 
unknown.  The  importance  of  this  discovery  is  at  present  beyond 
controversy:  and  every  navigator  is  now  furnished  with  marine 
thermometers,  as  an  indispensable  part  of  his  equipment. 

In  the  year  1800,  Mr.  Williams  was  appointed  a  major  in  the 
U.  S.  Artillery ;  and  soon  after,  a  colonel  in  the  corps  of  Engineers, 


JONATHAN    WILLIAMS. 

and  chief  of  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  He  devoted 
himself  to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  appointment ;  the  fortress 
at  New  York,  which  bears  his  name,  as  well  as  most  of  the  forts 
of  our  country,  constructed  whilst  he  was  in  the  Engineer  depart- 
ment, were  sketched  and  completed  by  him,  and  by  the  officers  under 
his  direction. 

It  is,  however,  as  the  head  of  the  Military  Academy,  that  he  pro- 
bably rendered  his  most  direct  and  continued  service  to  his  country. 
This  institution,  first  suggested  by  Washington,  and  established  by 
Jefferson,  proved  to  Colonel  Williams  a  fit  theatre  for  the  employ- 
ment of  his  talents.     With  a  mind  stored  with  much  scientific  and 
general  information,  with  great  decision  of  character,  and  extensive 
knowledge  of  the  world,  he  was,  from  the  first  of  his  command  at 
West  Point,  a  pledge  of  its  purpose  and  success.     As  an  officer,  he 
furnished  by  his  industry,  exactness,  and  patience,  an  accomplished 
example  to  those  whose  military  education  he  superintended.     Under 
his  direction,  the  institution  steadily  advanced  in  character ;  and  all 
who  were  acquainted  with  its  regulations  and  discipline,  acknow- 
ledged its  advantages.     But  it  was  not  until  the  close  of  the  war  of 
1812,  that  its  influence  was  seen  and  felt  by  the  country  at  laro-e.     It 
was  not  until  the  heroic  deeds  of  M'Rae,  Gibson,  Wood,  and  Ma- 
comb, and  other  gallant  young  men,  had  so  largely  contributed  to 
an  honorable  peace,  that  the  military  school  became  a  source  of 
interest  and  pride  with  the  nation.     Those  accomplished  and  intrepid 
officers  were  first  taught  to  be  thorough  soldiers  by  Colonel  W^il- 
LiAMs.     Some  of  these  died  on  the  field  of  battle,  with  a  glory  which 
he  was  instrumental  in  giving  them  the  ambition  and  power  to 
achieve.     Others,  high  in  rank  and  honor,  live  to  remember  the 
value  of  his  former  instructions.     We  have  just  alluded  to  the  de- 
parted brave;   let  us  go  back  for  a  moment,  and  appropriately 
remember  another  gallant  youth  whom  he  educated  at  West  Point, 
and  who  was  bound  to  him  by  the  two-fold  tie  of  pupilage  and  filial 
love.     Captain  Alexander  J.  Williams  died  on  his  country's  ramparts, 
in  the  midnight  carnage  at  Fort  Erie.     His  veteran  father  read  his 
loss  on  the  page  of  history ;  but  on  the  same  page  he  might  also  read, 
that  the  commanding  general,  when  recording  that  bloody  battle' 
paused  in  the  very  flush  of  triumph,  to  tell  the  valor  and  deplore  the 
death  of  his  "  favorite."* 


•  See  official  letter  of  Major  General  Gaines,  August  15  1814. 

7  ' 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Prevented  by  his  peculiar  station  from  sharing  the  immediate 
duties  of  the  field,  Colonel  Williams  had  obtained  a  promise,  that  in 
case  of  attack,  the  fortifications  he  constructed  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York  should  be  placed  under  his  command.  At  the  near  prospect 
that  the  enemy  would  invade  that  city,  he  claimed  the  fulfilment 
of  that  promise.  He  received  a  refusal ;  grounded,  it  is  beheved,  on 
the  consideration  that  officers  of  the  engineer  corps  had  no  right  to 
a  command  over  troops  of  the  line.  The  soldier's  feeling,  in  that 
which  concerns  his  reputation  and  just  pride,  is  seldom  subject  to 
general  rule ;  and,  in  the  ardent  belief  that  both  of  these  were  in- 
volved in  the  defence  of  the  post  alluded  to,  Colonel  Williams, 
in  the  year  1812,  after  a  protracted  correspondence  upon  the  subject 
with  the  war  department,  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army  of 
the  United  States. 

Immediately  after  his  resignation,  he  received  an  appointment  from 
the  governor  of  New  York,  of  brigadier-general  in  her  forces.  It 
was  an  uncommon  tribute  to  a  citizen  of  another  state,  and  was 
conferred  in  testimony  of  his  worth  and  character.  He  returned  to 
his  residence  near  Philadelphia;  but  he  was  soon  called  from  his 
chosen  retirement  by  the  committee  of  safety,  to  superintend  the 
erecting  of  fortifications  in  his  neighborhood,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Schuylkill,  which  was  faithfully  executed. 

In  the  autumn  of  1814,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  congress 
from  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  He  lived  not  to  requite,  by  his  expe- 
rience and  abilities,  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1815,  his  diligent  and  honorable  life  was 
calmly  terminated.  He  had  yet  attained  only  his  sixty-fifth  year. 
His  mind  had  lost  none  of  its  peculiar  endowments  ;  nor  had  his 
body  yielded  to  the  decrepitude  of  age.  In  the  highest  council  of 
our  country,  he  might  have  added  to  his  honors,  and  won  a  states- 
man's fame.  But  the  hand  of  the  Unseen,  who  disposes  all  things, 
now  closed  the  career,  and  by  his  touch  consecrated  the  memory  of 
the  useful  citizen,  the  firm  patriot,  and  the  accomplished  soldier. 


ISiiiil.il  In-  .1  W..l;u\ 


:<\  i«    r  W,„.l,«,ll, 


DAXIKl.      1)     'POMI'KIXS 


^  /ic^  / 


/hfa»it  Sy  JlimanAifS&Kyr, 


DANIEL    D.    TOMPKINS. 


It  is  a  pleasing  task  to  sketch  the  hfe  of  such  a  man  as  Daniel  D. 
Tompkins,  and  a  proud  one  to  a  citizen  of  the  great  state  which 
had  the  honor  of  giving  him  birth.  It  may  be  compared  to  a  land- 
scape, such  as  the  eye  delights  to  rest  upon  ;  not  one  of  abrupt 
transitions  from  mountain  to  ravine,  from  "antres  vast"  to  "deserts 
idle,"  but  an  open,  expanded,  and  unbroken  scene  of  refreshing  and 
unfading  verdure.  And  if  the  pleasure  of  contemplating  it  be  not 
unmingled,  it  is  because  the  sombre  clouds  of  adversity  began  at 
lenofth  to  hover  round  and  darken  its  brilliant  horizon. 

Governor  Tompkins  seemed  to  imbody  within  himself  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  the  citizens  of  his  native  state — activity,  energy, 
and  perseverance  ;  and  his  talents,  as  constantly  and  variously  as 
they  were  tried,  were  always  found  equal  to  any  emergency.  At  the 
bar  in  the  city  of  New  York,  during  the  early  period  of  his  life,  he 
sustained  an  honorable  rank  ;  on  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  of 
the  state,  amid  the  bright  constellation  of  judicial  talent,  learning, 
and  eloquence,  which  then  adorned  it,  he  was  conspicuously  distin- 
guished, while  yet  in  comparative  youth ;  and  we  venture  to  say, 
that  no  judge,  since  the  formation  of  our  government,  ever  presided 
at  nisi  prius,  or  travelled  the  circuit  with  more  popularity.  Dignified 
in  his  person,  graceful  and  conciliating  in  his  address,  and  thoroughly 
amiable  in  his  character,  he  won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the 
bar,  and  the  admiration  of  the  public.  He  was  not  one  of  those — for 
such  have  been — who  "  bullied  at  the  bar,  and  dogmatized  on  the 
bench ;"  he  was  a  man  of  warm  and  kindly  feelings,  and  disdained 
to  avail  himself  of  the  accident  of  official  station,  to  browbeat  or  insult 
his  inferiors; 

The  distinction  which  he  gained  in  his  judicial  capacity,  soon 
elevated  him  to  a  different  theatre  of  action,  the  gubernatorial  chair 
of  his  native  state.  He  was  put  forward  as  a  candidate  by  the  most 
influential  of  the  republicans  of  that  day ;  and  in  the  mode  in  which 
he  administered  the  government,  he  did  not  disappoint  their  choice. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Those  were  turbulent  times  in  politics ;  but,  like  a  sldlful  pilot,  he 
safely  and  triumphantly  weathered  the  storm— not  only  that  which 
was  raging  within  our  own  bounds  and  among  ourselves,  but  a  more 
fearful  one  which  was  pouring  in  upon  us  from  a  foreign  foe.  By 
his  unwearied  efforts,  in  repeatedly  pressing  the  subject  upon  the 
attention  of  the  legislature,  slavery  was  finally  abolished  in  the  state 
of  New  York.  In  a  message  addressed  to  the  legislature  in  1812,  he 
says,  "  The  revision  of  our  code  of  laws  will  furnish  you  with  oppor- 
tunities of  making  many  beneficial  improvements, — to  devise  the 
means  for  the  gradual  and  ultimate  extermination  from  among  us 
of  slavery,  that  reproach  of  a  free  people,  is  a  work  worthy  of  the 
representatives  of  a  polished  and  enlightened  nation ;"  and  in  1817, 
he  again  submitted  to  the  legislature,  "  whether  the  dictates  of  hu- 
manity, the  reputation  of  the  state,  and  a  just  sense  of  gratitude  to 
THE  Almighty  for  the  many  favors  he  has  conferred  on  us  as  a 
nation,  do  not  demand  that  the  reproach  of  slavery  be  expunged 
from  our  statute-book." 

The  subject  of  public  education  and  morals  was  always  near  his 
heart ;  and  thus  he  invites  to  it  the  attention  of  the  legislature,  in  one 
of  his  messages :  "  As  the  guardians  of  the  prosperity,  liberty,  and 
morals  of  the  state,  we  are  bound  by  every  injunction  of  patriotism 
and  wisdom,  to  endow  to  the  utmost  of  our  resources,  schools  and 
seminaries  of  learning,  to  patronise  public  improvements,  and  to 
cherish  all  institutions  for  the  diffusion  of  religious  knowledge,  and 
for  the  promotion  of  virtue  and  piety."  How  noble  are  such 
sentiments,  and  how  different  from  the  maxims  of  despots,  who 
for  the  most  part  govern  the  world!  Here  is  not  recommended 
endowments  for  splendid  seats  of  learning,  for  the  instruction  of  a 
privileged  class ;  to  propagate  and  maintain  an  exclusive  creed,  or  to 
uphold  some  corrupt  establishment  to  make  the  rich  richer  and  more 
powerful,  and  the  poor  poorer  and  more  debased ;  to  use  the  mind, 
the  immortal  part  of  our  nature,  as  an  instrument  to  be  moulded 
and  fashioned  so  as  to  subserve  the  selfish  purposes  of  a  lordly 
few ;  but,  with  a  philanthropy  without  limit,  it  is  pressed  upon  the 
legislature  to  cherish  and  promote  all  institutions  for  the  diffusion 
of  knowledge,  virtue,  and  piety.  When  a  chief  magistrate  speaks 
thus  to  his  people,  be  they  his  masters  or  his  servants,  we  may  con- 
sider that  governments  are  not  always  given  to  us  as  a  "  curse  for 
our  vices." 

The  benevolent  feelings  of  Governor  Tompkins  prompted  him  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  legislature,  on  repeated  occasions,  to  the 


DANIEL  D.  TOMPKINS. 

abolition  of  corporeal  and  capital  punishments ;  and  he  at  length 
happily  effected  that  of  the  former :  the  latter  still  remain. 

So  early  as  1811,  we  find  him  raising  his  voice  in  favor  of  the 
encouragement  of  manufactures.  "  Let  us  extend  to  them,"  he  says, 
"  the  utmost  encouragement  and  protection  which  our  finances  will 
admit,  and  we  shall  soon  convince  the  belligerents  of  Europe,  to  whom 
we  have  been  extensive  and  profitable  customers,  that  their  mad  and 
unjust  policy  towards  us  will  ultimately  recoil  upon  themselves,  by 
giving  to  our  industry,  our  resources,  and  our  policy  a  new  direction, 
calculated  to  render  us  really  independent."  He  makes  the  question 
one  of  love  of  country  and  honorable  pride,  and  does  not  even  hint 
at  any  sordid  calculation  of  profit.  If  he  erred  as  a  political  econo- 
mist, and  in  this  respect  there  are  those  who  will  doubt,  he  at  least 
manifested  the  generous  purpose  of  a  patriot. 

In  this  brief  sketch,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  even  all  the  most 
prominent  measures  of  Governor  Tompkins'  administration  can  be 
noticed ;  but  there  is  one  which  must  not  be  passed  over  in  silence — 
we  mean  his  prorogation  of  the  senate  and  assembly  of  the  state  in 
1812,  and  in  reference  we  will  briefly  remark,  in  the  language  of 
another,  "  The  legislature  had  lent  a  favorable  ear  to  the  petitions 
of  various  banking  companies  for  incorporation  ;  and  a  system  had 
been  projected  and  fostered  by  bribery  and  corruption,  which  threat- 
ened irreparable  evils  to  the  community.  In  his  communication  to 
the  legislature,  the  governor  dwelt  upon  this  subject  with  peculiar 
force,  and  clearly  and  ably  pointed  out  the  inexpediency  and  dan- 
ger of  multiplying  banking  institutions ;  but  such  had  been  the 
gigantic  strides  of  corruption,  that  the  pernicious  law  would  have 
been  enacted,  had  not  the  governor  exerted  his  constitutional  privi- 
lege of  proroguing  the  legislature." 

The  anathemas  of  party  animosity  came  thick  and  heavy  upon 
him,  in  consequence  of  this  measure,  which,  although  strictly  consti- 
tutional, was  stigmatized  as  arbitrary  and  despotic  ;  but  he  breasted 
himself  to  the  shock,  and  triumphed  in  the  support  of  public  opinion, 
Here  he  displayed,  in  a  conspicuous  manner,  that  moral  energy  of 
character  which  we  have  attributed  to  him,  and  crushed  the  hydra 
of  corruption,  which  was  beginning  to  rear  itself  in  the  sacred  halls 
of  legislation.  "  The  measure,"  says  the  writer  above  quoted,  "  excited 
the  astonishment  and  admiration  of  the  whole  United  States." 

We  come  now  to  the  part  which  he  bore  in  our  late  war  with 
Great  Britain,  which  embraces  a  most  interesting  period  of  his  life. 
Whenever  the  history  of  that  war  shall  be  written  for  posterity,  his 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

name  will  fill  an  ample  space  in  it.  As  governor  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  he  had  the  direction  of  all  her  energies ;  and  many  and  ardu- 
ous were  the  duties  which  he  was  called  upon  to  perform.  But  those 
who  were  conversant  with  the  scenes  of  that  period,  will  recollect 
the  universal  confidence  which  he  inspired  in  every  lover  of  his 
country. 

The  following  letter,  dated  a  few  days  after  the  declaration  of  war, 
will  show  the  perilous  situation  of  the  state  of  New  York  at  that 
time,  the  condition  of  the  army,  and  the  responsibility  he  assumed  to 
meet  the  exigency. 

«  Albany,  June  28,  1812. 
"  To  Major  General  Dearborn, 

"  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  23d  inst.  has  been  received.  I  had 
anticipated  your  request,  by  ordering  the  detachments  from  Washing- 
ton, Essex,  Clinton,  and  Franklin  counties  into  service,  and  have  fixed 
the  days  and  places  of  their  rendezvous.  Upon  application  to  the 
quarter-master  general,  I  find  there  are  but  139  tents  and  60  camp- 
kettles  at  this  place,  and  even  those  I  take  by  a  kind  of  stealth.  The 
deputy  quarter-master  general  declines  giving  an  order  for  their 
delivery,  until  he  shall  have  a  written  order  from  the  quarter-master 
general,  and  the  latter  is  willing  I  shall  take  them,  but  will  not  give 
the  deputy  a  written  order  for  that  purpose.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, I  shall  then  avail  myself  of  the  rule  of  possession,  and  by 
virtue  of  the  eleven  points  of  the  law,  send  them  off  to-morrow 
morning,  without  a  written  order  from  any  one.  You  may  remem- 
ber, that  when  you  were  secretary  of  the  war  department,  I  invited 
you  to  forward  and  deposit  in  our  frontier  arsenals,  arms,  ammuni- 
tion, and  camp  equipage,  free  of  expense,  to  be  ready  for  defence  in 
case  of  war ;  and  the  same  invitation  to  the  war  department  has  been 
repeated  four  times  since.  The  United  States  have  now  from  five  to 
six  hundred  regular  troops  at  Plattsburgh,  Rome,  Canandaigua,  &c., 
where  those  arsenals  are ;  and  yet  those  recruits  are  now,  and  must 
be  for  weeks  to  come,  unarmed,  and  in  every  respect  unequipped, 
although  within  musket  shot  of  arsenals.  The  recruits  at  Platts- 
burgh are  within  fifty  miles  of  two  tribes  of  Canadian  Indians.  In 
case  of  an  attack  upon  the  frontiers,  that  portion  of  the  United  States 
army  would  be  as  inefficient,  and  as  unable  to  defend  the  inhabitants, 
or  themselves  even,  as  so  many  women.  As  to  cannon,  muskets, 
and  ammunition,  I  can  find  no  one  here  who  will  exercise  any 
authority  over  them,  or  deliver  a  single  article  upon  my  requisition. 


DANIEL   D.  TOMPKINS.       - 

Neither  can  I  find  any  officer  of  the  army  who  feels  himself  author- 
ized to  exercise  any  authority,  or  do  any  act  which  will  aid  me  in 
the  all-important  object  of  protecting  the  inhabitants  of  our  extended 
frontier,  exposed  to  the  cruelties  of  savages  and  the  depredation  of 
the  enemy.  If  I  must  rely  upon  the  militia  solely  for  such  protec- 
tion, I  entreat  you  to  give  orders  to  your  officers  here  to  furnish  upon 
my  order,  for  the  use  of  the  militia  detachments,  all  needful  weapons 
and  articles  with  which  the  United  States  are  furnished,  and  of  which 
we  are  destitute. 

"  You  may  rely  upon  all  the  assistance  which  my  talents,  influence, 
and  authority  can  furnish,  in  the  active  prosecution  of  the  just  and 
necessary  war  which  has  been  declared  by  the  constituted  authority 
of  our  beloved  country." 

From  the  day  of  the  declaration  of  war,  the  governor  entered  heart 
and  soul  into  the  prosecution  of  it,  and  so  continued  until  its  close. 
Most  of  the  frontier  troops,  the  first  campaign,  were   militia,  and 
many  of  them  were  marched  several  hundred  miles.     The  quarter- 
master general  of  that  day  refused  to  make  any  advances  to  them. 
The  governor  was  therefore  placed  in  the  dilemma  of  providing  as 
well  as  he  could  for  their  expenses  of  every  kind,  or  of  permitting 
them  to  return  home  for  the  want  of  accommodation,  diso-usted 
both   with   the   war   and   the  government.      He  issued  orders  for 
raising  a  brigade  of  volunteers  upon  his  own  responsibility,  which 
greatly  distinguished  itself  on  our  Niagara  frontier,  and  particu- 
larly at  the  memorable  sortie  from  Fort  Erie.     The  officers  were 
all  selected  by  Governor  Tompkins,  and  their  gallant  conduct  in 
the  field  showed  his  admirable  discrimination  in  this  respect.     He 
had  previously  recommended  to  the  legislature  to  raise  volunteer 
regiments  for  the  defence  of  our  frontiers  and  the  city  of  New  York, 
but  by  a  perversity  which  seems  strange  to  us  at  the  present  day, 
his  patriotic  recommendation  was  rejected.     A  man  of  less  firmness 
than  Governor  Tompkins  would  have  quailed  beneath  the  storm 
which  was  raised  against  him  in  Albany  in  the  winter  of  1813-14; 
and   the   consequence   would  probably  have  been,   that   the  state 
would  have  been  overrun  by  the  foe.     Not  only  was  the  whole 
western  frontier  in  danger  of  invasion,  but  Sackett's  Harbor,  Platts- 
burgh,  and  the  city  of  New  York.     But,  regardless  of  censure  or 
disapprobation,  he  called  into  the  field  large  bodies  of  militia,  and 
organized  a  corps  of  sea  fencibles  for  the  protection  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  consisting  of  1000  men.     In  September,  1814,  the  militia 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

in  service  for  the  defence  of  the  city  amounted  to  17,500  men.  He 
was  even  ready  to  despatc]i  a  force,  under  the  lamented  Decatur,  for 
the  assistance  of  Baltimore,  which  was  then  menaced  with  an  attack, 
and  had  not  the  news  of  the  enemy's  retreat  been  received,  the  suc- 
cor would  have  been  upon  their  march  to  the  relief  of  a  sister  state. 

In  1814,  from  information  received,  and  corroborated  by  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy,  there  are  sufficient  grounds  of  belief  that  one 
great  object  of  his  campaign  was  to  penetrate  with  his  northern  army 
by  the  waters  of  Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson,  and  by  a  simulta- 
neous attack  with  his  maritime  forces  on  New  York,  to  form  a  junc- 
tion which  should  sever  the  communication  of  the  states.  The 
exigency  of  the  time,  while  it  subjected  the  executive  to  great  respon- 
sibility, admitted  of  no  delay.  To  defeat  this  arrogant  design,  and 
save  the  state  from  inroad,  it  was  necessary  immediately  to  exercise 
fuller  powers  and  more  ample  resources  than  had  been  placed  in  his 
hands  by  the  legislature.  He  proceeded,  therefore,  to  make  such 
dispositions  as  were  deemed  indispensable  to  secure  the  exposed 
points  against  menaced  invasion.  To  effect  these  objects,  he  found  it 
necessary  to  transcend  the  authority  and  means  vested  in  him  by 
law,  perfectly  satisfied  that  the  legislature  would  approve  and  sanc- 
tion what  he  had  done. 

In  October  of  this  year,  Governor  Tompkins  was  appointed  by  the 
president  to  the  command  of  the  third  military  district.  He  ac- 
quitted himself  of  the  command  with  great  ability,  and,  on  the 
disbanding  of  the  troops,  he  received  from  every  quarter  letters  of 
compliment  and  gratitude  ;  and  this  was  the  only  recompense  for  his 
services  in  this  command  which  he  ever  obtained. 

During  the  fall  of  this  year,  the  general  government  was  desirous 
of  fitting  out  an  expedition  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  Castine,  in  the 
then  province  of  Maine.  They  had  applied  to  the  governor  of  Mas- 
sachusetts to  raise  the  necessary  funds  for  this  purpose,  but  without 
effect.  In  this  dilemma,  the  situation  of  the  general  government 
was  hinted  to  Governor  Tompkins,  who,  with  his  individual  credit, 
and  upon  his  own  responsibility,  immediately  raised  the  sum  of  three 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  he  placed  at  the  orders  of  General 
Dearborn,  then  commanding  in  Massachusetts.  This  noble  act  of 
patriotism  speaks  for  itself,  and  comment  would  be  superfluous. 

In  looking  over  his  military  correspondence,  it  is  surprising  to  see 
how  watchful  he  was  to  foster  a  delicate  and  punctilious  regard  to 
the  relative  rank  of  the  officers  of  the  militia,  so  as  to  preclude  every 
cause  of  jealousy  or  complaint.     The  officers  were  appointed  by  the 


DANIEL  D.  TOMPKINS. 

council  of  appointment,  which  in  the  winter  of  1813-14  was, 
together  with  one  branch  of  the  legislature,  opposed  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  general  government  and  to  the  prosecution  of  the  war  ; 
and  it  is  evident,  from  his  correspondence  at  this  period,  that  attempts 
were  constantly  made  to  create  discontents,  by  the  recommending  of 
persons  for  promotion  over  the  heads  of  those  who  were  entitled  to 
it  by  their  previous  military  rank ;  and  in  turning  back  to  his 
private  correspondence  from  1808  to  1811,  we  are  struck  with  the 
continual  annoyance  experienced  by  him  from  the  intrigues  and 
slanders  of  political  opponents,  and  at  the  same  time  with  the  inde- 
fatigable industry  and  noble  frankness  with  which  he  counteracted 
and  exposed  them. 

In  the  fall  of  1814,  Mr.  Monroe  having  just  been  appointed  secre- 
tary of  war,  President  Madison  requested  permission  to  name  Gover- 
nor Tompkins  to  the  senate  as  his  successor.  This  offer  of  what 
is  considered  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  president  of  the 
United  States,  was  declined. 

In  the  spring  of  1815,  after  peace  had  been  proclaimed,  he  resigned 
the  command  of  the  third  mihtary  district ;  and  the  president  ad- 
dressed to  him  a  letter  of  thanks,  for  his  "  patriotic,  active,  and  able 
support  given  to  the  government  during  the  war." 

In  February  1817,  having  received  official  information  of  his  elec- 
tion to  the  office  of  vice  president  of  the  United  States,  he  surrendered 
that  of  chief  magistrate  of  the  state  of  New  York. 

Daniel  D.  Tompkins  was  born  on  the  21st  of  June,  1774,  at 
Scarsdale,  (Fox  Meadows,)  in  the  county  of  Westchester,  N.  Y. 
He  was  the  seventh  son  of  Jonathan  G.  Tompkins,  one  of  the  only 
three  individuals  of  the  town  who  advocated  the  cause  of  their  coun- 
try during  the  revolution.  His  ancestors  had  emigrated  originally 
from  the  north  of  England  during  the  time  of  religious  persecution 
in  that  country,  and  landed  at  Plymouth,  in  the  then  colony  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. After  remaining  there  a  short  time,  they  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  in  Westchester  county,  where  they  permanently  settled. 
The  father  of  the  governor  was  a  member  of  the  state  convention 
which  adopted  the  declaration  of  independence  and  the  first  con- 
stitution of  the  state.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legislature  during 
the  whole  period  of  the  revolution,  also  for  many  years  first  judge  of 
the  court  of  common  pleas  for  the  county ;  and  on  the  institution  of 
the  university  of  the  state,  was  appointed  one  of  the  regents,  which 
situation  he  held  until  his  resignation  of  it  in  1808.  He  thed  after 
seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  second  office  in  the  gift  of  his  country. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Governor  Tompkins  was  educated  at  Columbia  college,  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  received  the  first  honors  of  his  class.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1797 ;  in  1801  was  elected  a  representative  of 
the  city  in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  the  state ;  in 
1802  was  chosen  to  the  state  legislature ;  and  in  1804  was  appointed 
a  judge  in  the  supreme  court  of  the  state,  to  supply  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  the  election  of  Chief  Justice  Lewis  to  the  gubernatorial 
chair.  In  the  same  year  he  was  elected  a  member  of  congress  for 
the  city,  as  a  colleague  of  the  late  learned  Dr.  Mitchill.  In  1807, 
when  not  thirty-three  years  of  age,  he  was  elevated  to  the  chief 
magistracy  of  the  state.  He  was  also  chancellor  of  the  university ; 
and  in  June  1820  was  elected  grand  master  of  masons  in  the  state 
of  New  York. 

In  1821,  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  from  the  county  of  Richmond 
to  the  convention  for  framing  a  new  constitution  for  the  state ;  and 
he  was  afterwards  appointed  president  of  this  body.  This  was  the 
last  public  situation  which  he  held. 

We  still  fondly  turn  our  recollections  towards  him,  as  one  of  the 
most  amiable,  benevolent,  and  true-hearted  men  that  ever  lived.  He 
bore  the  stamp  of  this  feeling  of  kindliness  towards  liis  fellow-men 
in  his  open  and  frank  countenance,  in  his  easy  and  unaflected 
address,  in  the  very  tones  of  his  voice  in  his  every-day  intercourse 
with  society.  Upon  every  subject  that  comes  home  to  "men's 
business  and  bosoms,"  his  opinions  were  liberal  and  expanded; 
exclusiveness  or  dogmatism  formed  no  part  of  his  moral  creed. 
He  found,  as  all  have  found  or  will  find  who  aspire  to  raise  them- 
selves above  the  level  of  their  fellow-men,  that  envy  tracked  his 
footsteps,  and  calumny  was  always  at  hand  to  endeavor  to  throw  a 
shade  over  his  fame  ;  and  we  regret  to  say  that,  during  the  close  of 
his  career,  he  suffered  from  pecuniary  embarrassments,  resulting 
from  his  multifarious  services  and  expenditures,  and  assumed  respon- 
sibilities, during  the  war,  and  from— what  must  not  be  disguised— 
the  tardy  justice  of  the  government.  He  came  out  of  this  ordeal, 
however,  completely  triumphant ;  but  our  limits  forbid  our  entering 

into  details. 

We  merely  add  the  date  of  his  decease,  which  melancholy  event 
happened  on  the  11th  of  June,  1825,  on  Staten  Island;  but  his 
remains  are  interred  in  the  family  vault,  at  St.  Mark's  church,  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 


•ec  cv  J  B  Lcn^acr;  trcir.  s-ftdittiniiy  Vi'J.ii-ijtid. 


mSESTIE^  (SILJ^lTo 


^^^ 


HENRY     CLAY. 


"  If  all  this  be  as  is  now  represented,  he  has  acquired  fame  enough." 

DANiEi  Webster. 


In  every  country,  an  active  politician  must  occupy  a  conspicuous 
place  in  the  public  eye.  In  every  country,  and  in  our  own,  espe- 
cially, the  more  conspicuous  he  is  rendered  by  his  talents,  energy, 
decision  of  character,  or  peculiar  principles,  the  more  will  he  become 
the  favorite  of  some,  and  the  object  of  reproach  to  others.  Where 
men  and  principles  must  be  tried  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion,  as  in 
our  country,  or  in  Great  Britain,  and  we  may  now  add,  in  France,  it 
is  impossible  to  prevent  this  result.  Nor,  is  it  desirable  that  it 
should  be  otherwise,  saving,  the  bitterness  and  coarseness  of  invective, 
with  which  political  opponents  are  too  often  assailed,  in  the  eager 
strife  of  parties.  To  such  an  extent  does  this  prevail  in  our  land  of 
free  presses,  that  it  is  to  moderate  politicians  often  a  subject  of  deep 
mortification  and  regret.  To  most  of  those  who  have  been  the 
prominent  men  of  our  country  these  remarks  are  applicable,  and  yet, 
no  sooner  are  they  removed  from  the  stage  of  action,  than  their 
country  remembers  their  services  with  a  just  regard.  Is  it  right 
that  public  men  should  struggle  through  a  life  of  anxious  toil  and 
unfaltering  patriotism,  with  only  the  hope  of  posthumous  justice  to 
their  integrity  and  their  talents  ?  Certainly  not ; — we  shall  therefore 
make  our  selections,  alike  from  the  distinguished  living  and  the 
illustrious  dead. 

Among  the  names  which  belong  to,  and  are  interwoven  with,  the 
history  of  the  United  States,  that  of  Henry  Clay  stands  in  bold 
relief.  Like  many  others  in  our  country,  he  has  been  the  builder  of 
his  own  fortunes  ;  having  risen  from  poverty  and  obscurity  to  pro- 
fessional eminence  and  political  dignity,  by  the  energetic  and 
assiduous  exercise  of  his  intellectual  powers. 

Henry  Clay  was  born  on  the  12th  of  April,  1777,  in  Hanover 

county,  Virginia.      His   father,  who  was  a  respectable  clergyman, 

died  while  Henry  was  quite  young ;  in  consequence  of  which,  he 

1 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

received  no  other  education,  than  could  be  acquired  at  a  common 
school.  He  was  placed  at  an  early  age  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Tinsley, 
clerk  of  the  high  court  of  chancery,  at  Richmond,  where  his  talents 
and  amiable  deportment  won  for  him,  the  friendship  of  some  of  the 
most  respectable  and  influential  gentlemen  in  the  state.  At  nineteen, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
when  twenty  years  of  age.  He  soon  after  removed  to  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  continued  his  studies  there  about  a  year  longer; 
during  which  time  he  practised  public  speaking  in  a  debating 
society.  In  his  first  attempt  he  was  much  embarrassed,  and  saluted 
the  president  of  the  society  with  the  technical  phrase,  gentlemen  of 
the  jury ;  but  gaining  confidence  as  he  proceeded,  he  burst  the 
trammels  of  his  youthful  diffidence,  and  clothing  his  thoughts  in 
appropriate  language,  gave  utterance  to  an  animated  and  eloquent 
address.  He  soon  obtained  an  extensive  and  lucrative  practice ;  and 
the  reputation  which  the  superiority  of  his  genius  acquired,  was 
maintained  by  his  legal  knowledge  and  practical  accuracy. 

Mr.  Clay's  political  and  professional  career  began  nearly  at  the 
same  time ;  but  as  we  cannot  give  the  details  of  his  varied  and  busy 
hfe  within  the  limits  of  this  sketch,  we  shall  only  mark  the  most 
prominent  points,  particularly,  where  he  has  taken  a  stand  in 
support  of  his  favorite  principles  and  measures. 

In  1798,  when  the  people  of  Kentucky  were  preparing  to  frame  a 
constitution  for  the  state,  a  plan  was  proposed  for  the  gradual 
emancipation  of  slaves.  Mr.  Clay  zealously  exerted  his  talents  in 
favor  of  it ;  he  wrote  for  the  journals,  and  declaimed  at  the  public 
meetings,  but  his  efforts  failed  of  success. 

The  next  great  question  of  a  public  character  in  which  he  took  a 
part,  found  him  arrayed  with  the  popular  party,  in  vindicating  the 
freedom  of  the  press,  and  in  opposition  to  the  sedition  law,  which 
was  viewed  by  one  political  party,  as  an  attempt  to  control  it.  His 
speeches  on  the  subject  are  said  to  have  exhibited  much  of  that 
energy  of  character  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  have  since 
distinguished  him  on  all  great  public  occasions. 

In  1803,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  soon  took 
rank  amonof  the  ablest  men  of  the  state. 

In  1806,  General  Adair  resigned  his  seat  in  the  senate  of  the 
United  States,  and  Mr.  Clay  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy  for  one 
year.  He  made  his  debut,  in  a  speech  in  favor  of  the  erection  of  a 
bridge  over  the  Potomac  at  Georgetown,  which  is  said  to  have 
decided  the  question  in  favor  of  the  measure,  and  is  the  first  of  his 


HENRY  CLAY. 

efforts  in  support  of  his  favorite  principle  of  internal  improvement. 
On  his  return  to  Kentucky,  he  was  reelected  to  the  state  legislature, 
and  at  the  next  session  was  chosen  speaker,  by  a  large  majority. 
He  held  that  station  for  several  years,  during  which  he  frequently 
took  a  part  in  the  debates.  He  particularly  distinguished  himself 
at  the  first  session  after  his  return  from  congress,  by  a  powerful 
speech  in  defence  of  the  common  law.  A  resolution  had  been 
introduced  to  forbid  the  reading  of  any  British  decision,  or  elemen- 
tary work  on  law,  in  the  Kentucky  courts.  The  prejudices  of  the 
people,  and  of  a  majority  of  the  assembly,  were  believed  to  be  in 
favor  of  the  motion  ;  Mr.  Clay  moved  an  amendment,  the  effect  of 
which  was,  to  exclude  those  British  decisions  only,  which  are  of  a 
subsequent  date  to  the  declaration  of  independence.  The  prejudices 
against  which  he  contended,  were  removed  by  his  masterly  exposition 
of  the  subject.  The  common  law,  which  viewed  in  the  darkness  of 
ignorance,  appeared  mysterious  and  inexplicable ;  locked  up,  as  was 
supposed,  in  a  thousand  musty  volumes  ;  was  shown  to  be  simple  and 
easy  of  comprehension,  by  the  application  of  a  few  plain  principles. 
On  this  occasion,  by  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  efforts  of  his 
genius,  and  a  brilliant  exhibition  of  his  legal  knowledge  and  orato- 
rical powers,  Mr.  Clay  succeeded  in  carrying  his  amendment,  by 
an  almost  unanimous  vote. 

In  1809,  Mr.  Clay  was  again  elected  to  the  United  States'  senate 
for  two  years,  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Thurston.  At  this  time,  the 
country  had  arrived  at  one  of  those  periods,  when  the  strength  of  its 
institutions  was  to  be  tried,  by  the  menaces  and  impositions  of  foreign 
powers.  The  policy  of  the  United  States  has  ever  been,  a  non- 
interference in  the  affairs  of  Europe;  but  notwithstanding  the 
neutrality  of  the  government,  to  such  a  height  had  the  animosity  of 
the  belligerent  European  powers  arrived,  that  each  strove  to  injure 
the  other,  even  at  the  expense  of  justice,  and  by  a  violation  of  our 
neutral  rights.  Several  expedients  had  been  resorted  to,  by  which  it 
was  hoped  an  appeal  to  arms  might  be  averted,  our  commercial 
rights  respected,  and  our  national  honor  remain  untarnished  ;  but 
at  the  same  time  a  just  apprehension  was  felt,  that  after  all,  our 
pacific  measures  might  prove  abortive,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to 
prepare  for  war.  To  this  end,  a  bill  was  brought  into  the  senate,  to 
appropriate  a  sum  of  money  for  the  purchase  of  cordage,  sail  cloth, 
and  other  articles  ;  to  which  an  amendment  was  offered  giving  the 
preference  to  American  productions  and  manufactures.  It  was  on 
this  occasion  Mr.  Clay  first  publicly  appeared  as  the  advocate  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

domestic  manufactures^  and  of  the  protective  policy  which  has  since 
been  called  "  the  American  systemP  Mr.  Clay  also  participated  in 
other  important  questiqns  before  the  senate,  and  amongst  them,  that 
respecting  the  title  of  the  United  States  to  Florida,  which  he  sustained 
with  his  usual  ability. 

His  term  of  service  in  the  senate  having  expired,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and  in  the  winter  of  1811 
took  his  seat  in  that  body,  of  which  he  was  chosen  speaker,  by  a  vote 
that  left  no  doubt  of  the  extent  of  his  influence,  or  of  the  degree  of 
respect  entertained  for  his  abihties.  This  station  he  continued  to 
hold  until  1814.  Previous  to  the  time  when  the  preparations  for 
war,  before  alluded  to,  became  a  subject  of  interest,  Mr.  Clay  had 
been  rather  a  participator  in  the  discussion  of  affairs,  than  a  leader, 
or  originator  of  any  great  measures,  such  as  have  since  characterized 
the  national  policy ;  but  from  that  period,  he  is  to  be  held  responsible 
as  a  principal,  for  the  impulse  which  he  has  given  to  such  of  them,  as 
will  probably  be  left  to  the  calm  judgment  of  posterity.  As  early  as 
1811,  we  find  him  in  his  place  advocating  the  raising  of  a  respectable 
military  force.  War  he  conceived  inevitable, — that  in  fact,  England 
had  begun  it  already ;  and  the  only  question  was,  he  said,  whether  it 
was  to  be  "  a  war  of  vigor,  or  a  war  of  languor  and  imbecility." 
"  He  was  in  favor  of  the  display  of  an  energy  correspondent  to  the 
feelings  and  spirit  of  the  country."  Shortly  afterward,  with  equal 
fervor,  he  recommended  the  gradual  increase  of  the  navy ;  a  course 
of  national  policy,  which  has  fortunately  retained  its  popularity,  and 
still  remains  unchanged. 

In  1814,  Mr.  Clay  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners,  who 
negotiated  the  treaty  of  Ghent.  When  he  resigned  the  speaker's 
chair  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  to  Europe,  he  addressed  the  house 
in  a  speech,  "  which  touched  every  heart  in  the  assembly,  and  unsealed 
many  a  fountain  of  tears" ;  to  which  the  house  responded  by  passing 
a  resolution,  almost  unanimously,  thanking  him  for  the  impartiality, 
with  which  he  had  administered  the  arduous  duties  of  his  office.  In 
the  spring,  after  the  termination  of  the  negotiations  at  Ghent,  he 
went  to  London  with  two  of  his  former  colleagues,  Messrs.  Adams 
and  Gallatin  ;  and  there  entered  upon  a  highly  important  negotiation, 
which  resulted  in  the  commercial  convention,  which  has  been  made  the 
basis  of  most  of  our  subsequent  commercial  arrangements  with  foreign 
powers.  On  his  return  to  his  own  country,  he  was  every  where 
greeted  with  applause,  and  was  again  elected  to  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives in  congress,  of  which  he  continued  to  be  a  member  until 


HENRY  CLAY. 

1825,  when  he  accepted  the  appointment  of  secretary  of  state  under 
President  Adams. 

One  of  the  great  results  of  our  foreign  pohcy,  after  the  war,  was  the 
recognition  of  the  independence  of  the  Spanish  colonies.  On  this 
subject,  Mr.  Clay  entered  with  all  his  heart  and  soul,  and  mind  and 
strength, — he  saw  "the  glorious  spectacle  of  eighteen  millions  of 
people  struggling  to  burst  their  chains  and  to  be  free" ;  and  he  called 
to  mind  the  language  of  the  venerated  father  of  his  country :  "Born 
in  a  land  of  liberty,  my  anxious  recollections,  my  sympathetic  feelings, 
and  my  best  wishes,  are  irresistibly  excited,  whensoever,  in  my 
country,  I  see  an  oppressed  nation  unfurl  the  banners  of  freedom." 
We  regret  that  we  cannot  enter  into  the  details  of  his  efforts  in  that 
cause ;  it  must  suffice  to  notice,  that  at  first  they  were  not  successful, 
yet  he  was  not  discouraged,  but  renewed  them  the  following  year, 
when  he  carried  the  measure  through  the  house  of  representatives. 
The  president  immediately  thereafter,  appointed  five  ministers  pleni- 
potentiary to  the  principal  Spanish  American  states.  While  on  this 
subject,  we  must  not  permit  the  occasion  to  pass  without  remarking ; 
that  much  as  we  admire  those  British  statesmen,  who  are  bendine-  the 
powers  of  their  noble  minds  and  splendid  talents,  to  the  great  cause  of 
human  liberty  and  human  happiness,  we  cannot  allow  them,  nor  oiie 
of  them,  to  appropriate  to  himself  the  honor  of  having  "  called  a  new 
world  into  existence."  That  honor  belongs  not  to  George  Canning, 
as  a  reference  to  dates  will  show.  If  there  be  glory  due  to  any  one 
mortal  man  more  than  to  others,  for  rousing  the  sympathies  of  free- 
men for  a  people  struggling  to  be  free,  that  glory  is  due  to  Henry 
Clay  ;  although  he  has  never  had  the  vanity  to  say  so  himself.  His 
exertions  won  the  consent  of  the  American  people,  to  sustain  the 
president  in  the  decisive  stand  which  he  took,  when  the  great 
European  powers  contemplated  an  intervention  on  behalf  of  Spain; 
and  it  was  that  which  decided  Great  Britain,  in  the  course  which 
she  pursued.  The  Spanish  American  states  have  aclmowledged 
their  gratitude  to  Mr.  Clay  by  public  acts ;  his  speeches  have  been 
read  at  the  head  of  their  armies ;  and  his  name  will  find  as  durable 
a  place  in  the  history  of  the  South  American  republics,  as  in  the 
records  of  his  native  land. 

In  the  domestic  policy  of  the  government,  there  have  been  two 
points,  to  which  Mr.  Clay's  attention  has  been  particularly  directed, 
since  the  late  war ;  both  of  them,  in  some  degree,  resting  their  claims 
on  the  country,  from  circumstances  developed  by  that  war.  We  are 
not  about  to  discuss  them,  but  merely  to  indicate  them  as  his  favorite 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

principles,  to  support  which  his  splendid  talents  have  been  directed. 
These  are  internal  improvements,  and  the  protection  of  domestic 
manufactures  by  means  of  an  adequate  tariff.  With  regard  to  these 
measures,  the  statesmen,  and  the  people  of  the  country,  have  been 
much  divided, — sometimes,  there  has  been  a  difference  of  opinion  as 
to  the  expediency  of  them,  and  sometimes,  constitutional  objections 
have  been  advanced.  He  has  been,  however,  their  steadfast  cham- 
pion, and  has  been  supposed  to  have  connected  them,  with  the  settled 
policy  of  the  country.  How  far  this  may  prove  true,  time  only  can 
decide. 

The  right,  claimed  by  South  Carolina,  to  nullify  an  act  of  Congress, 
the  warlike  preparations  made  by  that  state  to  resist  compulsion,  and 
the  excitement  throughout  the  country,  occasioned  by  the  conflict  of 
interests  and  opinions,  and  the  hopes  and  fears  of  the  community, 
will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  present  generation.  A  civil  war  and 
the  dissolution  of  the  union,  or  the  destruction  of  the  manufacturing 
interests,  which  had  grown  up  to  an  immense  value  under  the  pro- 
tective system  ;  for  a  time  seemed  the  only  alternatives.  During  the 
short  session  of  congress  in  1832-3,  various  propositions  were  made 
to  remove  the  threatened  evils,  by  a  readjustment  of  the  tariff;  but  the 
time  passed  on  in  high  debate,  and  the  country  looked  on  in  anxious 
hope,  that  some  measure  would  be  devised,  by  which  harmony  and 
security  might  be  restored.  Two  weeks  only  remained  to  the  end 
of  the  session,  and  nothing  had  been  effected ;  when  Mr.  Clay,  "  the 
father  of  the  American  system,"  himself  brought  in  the  olive  branch. 
On  the  12th  of  February,  he  arose  in  his  place  in  the  senate,  and 
asked  leave  to  introduce  a  bill,  to  modify  the  various  acts,  imposing 
duties  on  imports  ;  he  at  the  same  time  addressed  the  senate  in  expla- 
nation of  his  course,  and  of  the  bill  proposed.  "  The  basis,"  Mr.  Clay 
said,  "  on  which  I  wish  to  found  this  modification,  is  one  of  time ; 
and  the  several  parts  of  the  bill  to  which  I  am  about  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  senate,  are  founded  on  this  basis.  I  propose  to  give 
protection  to  our  manufactured  articles,  adequate  protection,  for  a 
length  of  time,  which,  compared  with  the  length  of  human  life,  is 
very  long,  but  which  is  short,  in  proportion  to  the  legitimate  discre- 
tion of  every  wise  and  parental  system  of  government — securing  the 
stability  of  legislation,  and  allowing  time  for  a  gradual  reduction,  on 
one  side ;  and  on  the  other,  proposing  to  reduce  the  rate  of  duties  to 
that  revenue  standard  for  which  the  opponents  of  the  system  have  so 
long  contended." 

The  bill  was  read,  referred  to  a  committee,   reported  on,  and 


HENRY  CLAY. 

brought  to  its  final  passage  in  the  senate  within  a  few  days.  In  the 
mean  time,  it  had  been  made  the  substitute  for  a  bill  under  discussion, 
in  the  house  of  representatives,  and  was  adopted  in  that  body  by  a 
large  majority  and  sent  to  the  senate,  where  it  had  its  final  reading 
on  the  26th,  and  when  approved  by  the  president  became  a  law. 

We  should  not,  in  this  place,  have  alluded  to  the  course  pursued 
by  one  of  the  states,  to  effect  a  modification  of  the  tariff",  had  it  not 
been  so  inseparably  connected  with,  what  we  doubt  not,  will  be 
hereafter  considered  one  of  the  most  important  acts  of  Mr.  Clay's 
public  life.  "He  expressly  declared  that  he  thought  the  protective 
system  in  extreme  danger ;  and  that  it  would  be  far  better  for  the 
manufacturers,  for  whose  interests  he  felt  the  greatest  solicitude,  to 
secure  themselves  by  the  bill,  than  take  the  chances  of  the  next 
session  of  congress,  when,  from  the  constitution  of  both  houses,  it 
was  probable  a  worse  one  would  be  passed."  On  the  other  hand,  he 
urged  the  proposition  "as  a  measure  of  mutual  concession, — of 
peace,  of  harmony.  He  wanted  to  see  no  civil  war ;  no  sacked 
cities  ;  no  embattled  armies  ;  no  streams  of  American  blood  shed  by 
American  arms."  We  trust,  that  the  crisis  is  passed,  and  that  we 
shall  continue  for  ever  a  united,  prosperous,  and  happy  people. 

The  tariff"  has  had  its  effect  so  far,  that  a  new  era  has  commenced, 
and  it  is  very  probable,  that  the  revenue  of  the  country  will  finally 
be  settled  down  to  a  standard,  only  sufficient,  to  meet  the  expenses 
of  the  government.  In  connection  with  this  subject,  we  wish  to 
preserve  the  following  extract  from  the  speech  of  Mr.  Verplanck, 
in  January,  1833,  in  support  of  a  bill  to  reduce  the  tariff,  reported 
by  him  to  congress : 

"  The  last  war  left  the  nation  laboring  under  a  weight  of  public 
debt.  The  payment  of  that  war  debt  was  one  of  the  great  objects  of 
the  arrangement  of  our  revenue  system  at  the  peace,  and  it  was  never 
lost  sight  of  in  any  subsequent  arrangement  of  our  tariff"  system. 
Since  1815,  we  have  annually  derived  a  revenue  from  several  sources, 
but  by  far  the  largest  part  from  duties  on  imports,  of  sometimes 
twenty,  sometimes  twenty-five,  and  recently  thirty-two  and  thirty- 
three  millions  of  dollars  a  year. 

"  Of  this  sum,  ten  millions  always,  but  of  late  a  much  larger  pro- 
portion, has  been  devoted  to  the  payment  of  the  interest  and  principal 
of  the  public  debt.  At  last  that  debt  has  been  extinguished.  The 
manner  in  which  those  burthens  were  distributed  under  former  laws, 
has  been,  heretofore,  a  subject  of  complaint  and  remonstrance.  I 
do  not   propose  to  inquire   into    the  wisdom  or  justice  of  those 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

laws.  The  debt  has  been  extinguished  by  them — let  us  be  grateful 
for  the  past." 

Many  other  interesting  incidents  are  presented  in  the  public  life  of 
Mr.  Clay,  to  which  we  shall  only  advert ;  such,  as  the  part  he  took 
in  the  Missouri  question  ;  in  the  election  of  Mr.  Adams ;  on  the  subject 
of  sendinof  a  commissioner  to  Greece ;  on  the  colonization  of  the 
negroes ;  and  more  recently,  his  labors  in  favor  of  rechartering  the 
United  States  Bank,  and  for  the  distribution  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
public  lands  for  the  purposes  of  internal  improvement,  education,  &c. 

Mr.  Clay  received  from  Mr.  Madison  the  successive  offers  of  a 
mission  to  Russia,  and  a  place  in  the  cabinet ;  and  from  Mr.  Monroe 
a  situation  in  his  cabinet,  and  the  mission  to  England ;  ail  of  which 
he  declined. 

On  the  great  Cumberland  road,  there  has  been  erected  a  large  and 
beautiful  monument,  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  Liberty,  and  inscribed 
"  Henry  Clay."  These  are  evidences  of  the  estimation  in  which 
Mr.  Clay  has  been  held  by  his  contemporaries ;  others  might  be 
adduced,  but  they  would  be  superfluous. 

Twice  he  has  been  nominated  for  the  presidency,  but  without 
success.  We  trust  that  he  is  too  firm  in  his  republican  principles  to 
murmur,  and  that  his  friends  will  in  some  measure  be  consoled,  by 
reflections  similar  to  that,  which  we  have  adopted  as  a  motto  to  this 
article. 


Ditawn  from  life  «nd  Engraved  bv  J.B.X,on^^re, 


PHESIDJ'INT   C^iF     THKHNITICD    STATKK. 


ANDEEW     JACKSON. 


Andrew  Jackson  was  born  on  the  15th  March,  1767,  in  Waxsaw, 
South  Carohna,  a  settlement  whither  his  family  had  emigrated 
from  Ireland  two  years  previous.  His  father  dying  soon  after  the 
birth  of  this,  his  third  son,  Andrew  was  left  in  the  care  of  a  faithful 
mother,  who  determined  to  afford  him  such  a  rudimental  education,  as 
would  be  of  service  to  him  in  case  her  fond  desire  should  be  realized 
by  his  choosing  the  clerical  profession.  He  had  scarcely  time  to  enter 
upon  the  study  of  the  languages,  when  the  revolutionary  struggle 
involved  his  native  spot  in  the  commotion,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  abandoned  school  for  the  colonial  camp.  In  consequence  of  the 
smallness  of  their  number,  the  body  of  troops  to  which  he  was 
attached,  were  obliged  to  withdraw  to  North  Carolina,  but  soon 
returned  to  their  own  settlement,  where  a  party  of  forty  were  sur- 
prised by  a  large  detachment  of  the  enemy,  and  compelled  to  surren- 
der. Jackson  and  his  brother  eluded  the  fate  of  their  companions, 
but  were  taken  the  next  day,  and  kept  in  strict  confinement,  until 
they  were  exchanged  after  the  battle  of  Camden.  His  eldest  brother 
had  previously  perished  in  the  service  of  the  colony ;  his  only  sur- 
viving brother,  the  companion  of  his  imprisonment,  died  in  conse- 
quence of  a  wound  inflicted  by  the  ofiicer  of  the  British  detachment, 
for  refusing  to  perform  menial  services,  and  his  mother  survived  him 
but  a  few  weeks,  a  victim  to  anxiety  and  fatigue.  Andrew  escaped 
with  his  life  from  the  rage  of  the  same  officer,  excited  by  the  same 
cause,  only  by  his  dexterity  in  receiving  on  his  hand  the  stroke  of  the 
sword  which  was  aimed  with  fury  at  his  head. 

Having  thus  become  heir  to  the  whole  of  the  moderate  estate  left 
by  his  father,  he  prosecuted  his  education.  In  1784,  he  commenced 
the  study  of  the  law  in  Salisbury,  North  Carolina;  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1780,  and  removed  in  1788  to  Nashville,  to  make 
an  enterprising  experiment  in  that  newly  peopled  district  of  Ten- 
nessee. Professional  success  immediately  attended  him,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  singular  condition  of  the  affairs  of  the  settlers.     Many 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

of  the  young  adventurers,  who  had  traded  on  credit  with  the  mer- 
chants of  the  town,  were  unable,  or  indisposed  to  fulfil  their  engage- 
ments, and  liad  retained  the  only  practitioner  of  the  law  then  in 
Nashville,  as  their  counsellor.  The  creditors  had  consequently  no 
means  of  prosecuting  their  claims ;  but  the  moment  of  Jackson's 
arrival  they  availed  themselves  of  his  aid,  and  on  the  very  next  day 
he  commenced  seventy  suits.  This  auspicious  opening  introduced 
him  to  a  respectable  business.  He  was  soon  after  appointed  attorney 
general  of  the  district.  The  depredations  of  the  Indians  upon  the 
new  country  frequently  called  him  into  active  military  service  with 
his  fellow  citizens ;  among  whom  he  was  distinguished  by  his  energy 
and  valor.  Thus  conspicuous,  he  was  selected,  in  1796,  as  a  dele- 
gate to  the  convention  for  forming  a  constitution  for  the  state  ;  and 
was  in  the  same  year  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  congress.  In  the 
year  following,  he  was  delegated  to  the  national  senate,  in  which  he 
took  his  seat,  but  resigned  at  the  close  of  the  session,  alleging  his 
distaste  for  the  intrigues  of  politics.  Within  that  period  he  was 
chosen  major  general  of  the  Tennessee  militia,  and  held  the  office 
until  called  to  the  same  rank  in  the  United  States'  service,  in  1814. 

Upon  his  retirement  from  the  national  legislature.  General  Jackson 
was  appointed  to  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state,  an  office 
which  he  accepted  with  diffidence  and  reluctance,  and  soon  resigned, 
retiring  from  public  life  to  his  farm  on  the  Cumberland  river,  near 
Nashville.  Here  he  passed  several  years  in  the  pursuits  of  agricul- 
ture, until  summoned  by  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain  to  take 
an  active  part  in  the  defence  of  the  country.  He  proceeded  in  the 
winter  of  1812,  at  the  head  of  twenty-five  hundred  volunteers,  to  the 
duty  assigned  him  by  the  general  government,  of  defending  the  lower 
states,  and  descended  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  to  Natchez,  where  he 
had  been  instructed  to  await  further  orders.  The  danger  of  the  anti- 
cipated invasion  being  dispelled,  Jackson  was  directed  by  the  secre- 
tary of  war  to  disband  his  troops  on  the  spot.  But  a  large  number 
of  his  men  being  then  sick,  and  destitute  of  the  means  of  returning 
home,  he  felt  bound  by  obligations  to  them  and  their  families  to 
lead  them  back,  and  to  disregard  an  order  made  without  the  know- 
ledge of  his  peculiar  circumstances.  This  purpose  he  effected, 
sharing  with  his  men  in  all  the  hardships  of  the  return.  His 
subsequent  representations  to  the  cabinet  were  accepted,  and  his 
course  sanctioned. 

The  Creek  Indians  having  become  allies  of  the  British,  and  per- 
petrated several  massacres,  the  legislature  of  Tennessee  placed  a 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 

force  of  thirty-five  hundred  of  their  militia  under  the  command  of 
Jackson  to  proceed  against  them.  The  first  attack  upon  the  savages 
was  made  at  Talladega,  on  the  river  Coosa,  where  a  band  of  a  thou- 
sand Creeks  were  routed  and  dispersed.  In  the  beginning  of  1814, 
another  party  was  defeated  at  Emucldaw,  and  in  March,  the  general 
proceeded  to  the  village  of  Tohopeka,  or  Horse-shoe,  on  the  Talla- 
poosa, where  a  long  and  desperate  battle  was  waged.  The  Lidians 
screened  themselves  behind  a  long  rampart  of  timbers  and  trunks  of 
trees,  directing  their  unerring  fire  from  a  double  row  of  port-holes. 
The  contest  was  prolonged  from  the  morning  to  midnight  of  the  27th, 
when  they  were  driven  from  the  entrenchment,  leaving  upwards  of 
five  hundred  of  their  warriors  on  the  field.  Jackson  determined  to 
proceed  next  to  Hoithlewalee,  a  Creek  town  near  the  junction  of  the 
Coosa  and  Tallapoosa ;  but  the  swelling  of  the  streams  by  recent 
rains  so  much  impeded  his  progress,  that  the  enemy  had  time  to 
escape.  At  the  Hickory  Ground,  however,  near  the  villages,  the 
principal  chiefs  sued  for  peace,  which  was  granted  them  on  condition 
of  their  withdrawing  to  the  neighborhood  of  fort  Williams.  Hostihty 
being  checked  in  this  quarter,  the  troops  took  up  their  march  home- 
ward on  the  21st  April,  terminating  a  most  severe  service ;  during 
which,  the  promptness  and  decision  of  the  commander  maintained 
the  order  and  efficiency  of  the  troops,  (although  menaced  by  mutiny 
and  scarcity  of  provisions,)  and  by  his  celerity  defeating  the  strata- 
gems even  of  Indian  warfare.  "  Within  a  few  days,"  he  observed  to 
his  army  at  the  close  of  the  war,  "  you  have  annihilated  the  power 
of  a  nation,  that  for  twenty  years  has  been  the  disturber  of  your 
peace." 

His  services  in  the  campaign  attracted  the  notice  of  government, 
and  he  was  commissioned  a  major  general.  May,  1814.  In  the  same 
year  he  was  named  a  commissioner  with  Colonel  Hawkins,  to  form  a 
treaty  with  the  subdued  tribes,  the  principal  object  of  which  was  to 
prevent  any  intercourse  between  them  and  the  British  and  Spanish 
agents  in  the  Floridas.  This  was  accomplished  at  Alabama  in 
August,  and  the  right  secured  to  the  United  States  of  establishing 
military  posts  in  their  territory. 

While  engaged  in  this  employment,  he  discovered  that  the  Indians 
were  still  encouraged  and  supported  by  the  Spaniards  in  Florida,  and 
that  a  British  officer  was  permitted  to  organize  and  drill  a  body  of 
British  soldiers  and  fugitive  Creeks  in  Pensacola.  The  remonstrances 
which  Jackson  addressed  to  the  Spanish  governor  were  contemned. 
He  anticipated  a  movement  against  New  Orleans,  and  announced  the 

3 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

impending  danger  to  the  neighboring  states,  urging  them  to  imme- 
diate and  vigorous  preparation.  He  drew  a  supply  of  volunteers 
from  Tennessee,  and  proceeded  in  person  to  Mobile  to  make  the 
defence  of  that  point.  An  attack  was  soon  commenced  upon  fort 
Bowyer,  which  commands  the  bay  of  Mobile,  by  a  squadron  with  a 
force  under  Colonel  Nicholls,  who  was  repulsed  with  loss  by  the 
Americans  under  Major  Lawrence.  The  British  retired  into  Pensa- 
cola  to  refit,  and  Jackson,  who  had  in  vain  requested  permission 
from  the  president  to  attack  that  town,  so  openly  departing  from  its 
neutrality,  determined  to  advance  against  it  upon  his  own  respon 
sibility,  throw  a  force  into  fort  Barrancas,  and  expect  the  result. 
Accordingly,  he  took  possession  of  the  town  with  an  army  of  three 
thousand,  in  the  beginning  of  November,  driving  the  Spaniards  before 
him  after  a  short  but  unavailing  resistance.  Fort  Barrancas  was 
blown  up  by  the  enemy  after  the  surrender  of  the  town,  and  that 
fortress  being  the  main  object  of  capture,  in  order  to  secure  the  com- 
mand of  Pensacola,  Jackson  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  retain 
possession  of  the  town,  and  returned  to  fort  Montgomery. 

The  anxieties  of  the  general  were  now  directed  to  New  Orleans, 
as  the  most  probable  point  for  the  next  attempt  of  the  hovering  enemy, 
and  he  reached  that  city  on  the  first  of  December,  1814.  The  popu- 
lation of  this  denizen  territory  were  not  easily  excited  to  the  degree 
of  alacrity  required  by  the  exigence,  and  the  principal  dependence  of 
Jackson  to  meet  a  large  body  of  well-disciplined  English  troops,  was 
upon  the  volunteers  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  whom  he  had  sum- 
moned to  his  aid.  He  at  once  fortified  the  approaches  to  the  city, 
with  the  cooperation  of  Commodore  Patterson,  who  commanded  a 
small  naval  force.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  December,  the 
enemy,  in  number  about  twelve  hundred,  approached  in  forty-three 
barges,  and  commenced  an  attack  on  the  American  flotilla  lying  in 
lake  Borgne,  consisting  of  five  gun  boats,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-two  men.  A  brave  defence  was  made  by  the  gallant  little 
squadron  for  about  an  hour,  when  the  superior  number  of  the  enemy 
triumphed,  and  the  Americans  were  carried  prisoners  to  Cat  island. 

Jackson  now  prepared  for  a  more  formidable  attempt,  and  troops 
and  arms  were  gradually  arriving  to  his  assistance.  At  this  mo- 
mentous juncture,  he  discovered  that  the  safety  of  the  country  was 
exposed  to  the  treachery  of  a  number  of  disaflfected  inhabitants  of 
New  Orleans ;  and  that  the  suspected  might  be  put  under  proper 
restraint,  he  urged  upon  the  legislature  of  Louisiana  the  necessity  of 
suspending  the  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus.     While  the 

4 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 

measure  was  in  the  slow  process  of  deliberation,  Jackson  proclaimed 
the  city  to  be  under  martial  law,  superseding  all  civil  authority  by  a 
rigid  military  police. 

On  the  22d,  the  British  secretly  effected  a  landing,  and  reached  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  within  seven  miles  of  the  city.  As  soon  as 
this  was  known,  he  called  upon  Generals  Coffee  and  Carroll  to  join 
him,  and  proceeded  to  meet  the  invaders.  The  hostile  armies  came 
in  sight  of  each  other  near  the  close  of  the  day.  The  number  of  the 
enemy  was  upwards  of  three  thousand,  the  American  force  did  not 
exceed  two  thousand ;  the  latter,  however,  commenced  the  charge, 
and  a  severe  conflict  lasted  until  the  darlmess  of  the  night  confused 
the  combatants.  The  British  were  driven  before  our  army  for  nearly 
a  mile,  from  several  successive  intrenchments.  By  continual  acces- 
sions during  the  battle,  the  British  force  was  estimated  to  have 
increased  to  the  number  of  six  thousand ;  the  American  commander 
deeming  it  rash  to  pursue  his  success  at  such  a  hazard,  proceeded  to 
prepare  for  defence  by  throwing  up  a  breastwork  in  front  of  his 
army.  On  the  28th,  these  works  were  attacked  by  the  enemy  under 
their  commander-in-chief,  Sir  Edward  Packenham,  and  were  forced 
to  retire.  Frequent  skirmishes  occurred  between  detached  parties 
for  several  days,  while  the  enemy  were  preparing  for  a  grand  assault. 
On  the  first  of  January,  1815,  they  opened  a  tremendous  discharge 
from  their  batteries  upon  our  lines,  but  the  fire  was  returned  with 
such  success,  that  by  three  o'clock  they  were  silenced. 

On  the  fourth,  a  timely  reinforcement  from  Kentucky  added 
twenty-five  hundred  men  to  the  American  army.  On  the  eio-hth, 
the  enemy  advanced  in  two  divisions  under  Sir  Edward  Packenham, 
and  owing  to  a  fog,  approached  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
intrenchments  before  they  were  discovered.  A  terrible  and  unceasino- 
volley  kept  them  back,  and  Packenham  fell,  fatally  wounded.  The 
British  columns,  sixty  or  seventy  deep,  were  successively  led  on  to 
the  charge  and  broken  by  the  dreadful  havoc  of  the  American  fire, 
until  they  betook  themselves  to  flight.  Jackson  was  obliged  to 
submit  to  the  mortification  of  withholding  his  men  from  pursuit,  for 
a  large  portion  of  them  were  without  arms,  and  to  venture  with  so 
inferior  a  force  to  a  battle  on  the  open  field  would  have  been  an  unjus- 
tifiable risk.  He  was  compelled,  therefore,  to  remain  in  his  post. 
The  force  of  the  British  in  this  memorable  engagement  was  at  least 
nine  thousand  ;  the  efficient  American  troops  amounted  to  thirty-seven 
hundred.  The  enemy's  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  is 
estimated  at  three  thousand,  while  that  of  the  victors  was  but  thirteen. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

For  several  days  after  the  battle,  the  British  camp  was  harassed  by  a 
continual  discharge  from  the  batteries,  which  compelled  the  army  to 
withdraw  secretly  to  their  ships  on  the  night  of  the  18th,  and  they 
soon  left  the  coast.  The  general  entered  New  Orleans  with  his  victo- 
rious troops  on  the  20th,  where  he  was  received  with  boundless 
enthusiasm,  and  solemn  thanksgiving  to  Providence  was  offered  in 
public  services  at  the  Cathedral.  Insidious  attempts  were  now  made 
in  New  Orleans  to  destroy  the  strength  of  the  army  by  encouraging 
mutiny  and  desertion.  The  city  being  still  under  martial  law,  Jack- 
son caused  to  be  arrested  a  member  of  the  legislature  who  had  fur- 
nished the  newspapers  with  articles  of  a  pernicious  tendency.  Appli- 
cation was  made  to  the  district  judge  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  to 
be  served  on  the  general,  which  he  granted  in  opposition  to  the 
positive  injunctions  of  Jackson,  who  promptly  ordered  the  judge  also 
to  be  arrested  and  sent  from  the  city.  Two  days  afterwards,  official 
intelhgence  was  received  of  the  conclusion  of  a  treaty  of  peace 
between  the  belligerent  countries.  The  judge  had  no  sooner  resumed 
his  office,  than  Jackson  was  summoned  to  answer  for  his  contempt 
of  court  in  disregarding  the  writ,  and  in  arresting  the  judicial  officer. 
The  general  appeared  and  vindicated  his  course,  through  his  counsel, 
but  was  fined  in  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars.  This  sentence 
excited  universal  indignation,  and  the  amount  of  the  amercement 
was  quickly  contributed  by  the  people  ;  but  the  general  had  already 
discharged  it  from  his  own  funds,  and  requested  that  the  other  sum 
should  be  distributed  among  the  relatives  of  those,  who  had  fallen  in 
the  battle. 

The  command  being  committed  to  General  Gaines,  Jackson  re- 
turned to  his  farm,  where  he  remained  until  the  end  of  181 7,  when  he 
was  directed  to  proceed  against  the  Seminole  Indians,  who,  emerging 
from  the  Spanish  territory,  had  committed  repeated  massacres  of  the 
Americans  on  the  frontiers.  At  the  head  of  the  Tennessee  volun- 
teers, who  were  afterwards  joined  by  the  Georgia  militia,  he  pene- 
trated into  Florida,  destroyed  the  retreats  of  the  skulking  savages 
and  fugitive  slaves  who  had  banded  with  them,  and  burned  their 
villages.  Two  Englishmen,  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister,  were  arrested 
by  his  order,  charged  with  exciting  and  leading  on  the  insurgents. 
They  were  tried  by  a  court  of  thirteen  officers,  found  guilty,  and  in 
pursuance  of  their  sentence,  the  former  was  hung  and  the  other  shot. 
After  placing  a  garrison  in  St.  Marks,  the  general  was  about  returning 
to  Tennessee,  when  he  learned  tliat  the  dispersed  bands  were  com- 
bining west  of  the  Appalachicola,  under  the  countenance  and  pro- 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 

tection  of  the  governor  of  Pensacola.  During  May,  he,  with  a  force 
of  t.velve  hundred,  ranged  the  suspected  district,  and  marched  into 
Pensacola,  of  which  he  took  possession  ;  the  governor  flying  to  fort 
Barrancas,  which  was  also  yielded  on  the  28th.  Two  detachments 
were  then  sent  to  clear  the  country  of  the  fugitives,  which  being 
accomplished,  Jackson  returned  home  in  June,  1818.  The  house 
of  representatives,  in  the  next  session  of  congress,  justified  his  course 
in  taking  temporary  possession  of  the  Spanish  fortresses,  and  in  execu- 
ting the  two  British  ringleaders.  Soon  after  these  events  he  visited 
the  northern  cities,  where  he  was  enthusiastically  received  with 
public  and  private  honors. 

When  the  Floridas  were  ceded  by  Spain  to  the  United  States,  the 
president  appointed  General  Jackson  a  commissioner  to  receive  the 
cession,  and  act  as  governor  of  the  territory.  This  important  annex- 
ation was  officially  announced  by  him  at  Pensacola  in  July,  1821, 
when  he  commenced  his  administration.  Having  organized  his 
new  government,  he  resigned  his  office,  and  returned  to  his  farm  in 
Tennessee. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1822,  the  legislature  oF  Tennessee  nomi- 
nated General  Jackson  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Monroe  in  the 
presidency  of  the  United  States,  the  proposition  was  favorably 
received  in  many  parts  of  the  union.  He  declined  an  appointment 
as  minister  to  Mexico,  and  in  1823  was  elected  to  the  senate  of  the 
United  States ;  but  having  now  become  a  prominent  candidate  for 
the  chief  magistracy,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  the  second  session.  The 
result  of  the  popular  elections  of  1824  for  president,  gave  General 
Jackson  a  plurality,  but  not  a  majority  of  votes.  The  house  of 
representatives  were  required,  by  the  constitutional  provision,  to 
make  a  selection  from  the  three  who  received  the  greatest  number  of 
votes,  and  the  suifrages  of  the  states  gave  the  majority  to  Mr.  Adams. 
General  Jackson  was  at  once  nominated  to  succeed  Mr.  Adams  at 
the  close  of  his  term  of  service,  and  the  elections  of  the  colleges 
were  reported  to  Congress  on  February  11,  1829,  as  giving  to  General 
Jackson,  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  votes,  and  to  Mr.  Adams, 
his  only  competitor,  eighty-three. 

The  past  four  years  of  his  administration  have  not  been  barren  of 
important  incidents.  The  interests  of  agriculture,  commerce,  and 
manufactures — foreign  treaties,  internal  improvements,  and  the 
removal  of  the  Cherokee  Indians— the  United  States'  Banlc,  the 
South  Carolina  Ordinance,  and  the  Proclamation  of  the  10th  De- 
cember,   1832,  have  been  among  the  subjects  which  have  been 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

agitated  and  discussed  in  congress  and  in  the  state  legislatures,— in 
popular  assemblies,  and  the  public  press,  with  a  zeal  and  earnestnesSj 
we  had  almost  said,  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  our  country  ;  but 
when  we  look  back  to  former  administrations,  we  find  that  in  all  of 
them,  there  has  been  something  which  has  been  made  the  rallying 
point  of  party ;  something  to  attach  one  portion  of  our  citizens  to  the 
measures  of  government  and  to  give  discontent  to  others.  By  the 
constitution,  it  is  made  the  duty  of  the  president  to  recommend  to 
congress  such  measures  as  he  may  judge  necessary  and  expedient, 
and  for  such  measures  he  is  of  course  responsible  to  his  country ;  but 
any  member  of  congress  may  also  introduce  such  as  he  may  think 
necessary  and  expedient, — and  if  he  can  carry  them  through  the  le- 
gislative branch  of  the  government,  the  executive  must  either  approve, 
or  disapprove  of  them,  and  thus  be  made  responsible  in  one  way  or 
the  other  for  the  effect.  As  it  is  impossible  for  any  measure  of  the 
government  to  be  equally  advantageous  to  every  citizen,  nor  can  all 
citizens  possess  precisely  the  same  views,  on  subjects  in  which  they 
have  no  immediate  interest ;  there  will  and  must  be  parties  in  the 
country :  and  whoever  is,  or  may  be  president,  there  will  be  some  to 
approve  and  praise,  and  others  to  censure  and  condemn  him. 

President  Jackson  has  now  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  office, 
having  been  reelected  by  an  increased  majority  of  the  electoral  votes. 
He  commences  this  term  under  circumstances  entirely  different  from 
the  former,  and  the  measures  of  the  administration  will  be  adapted 
accordingly.  One  of  the  most  striking  peculiarities  in  the  present 
state  of  our  country  is,  that  it  presents  to  the  world  the  joyous  spec- 
tacle of  A  FIRM  REPUBLICAN  GOVERNMENT,  WITHOUT  A  NATIONAL 
DEBT. 

The  person  of  Jackson  is  tall  and  thin,  and  indicates  a  life  of 
arduous  toil.  His  countenance,  though  affected  by  the  same  cause, 
is  animated  and  striking.  In  his  manners,  he  is  as  though  he  had 
never  dwelt  in  camps,  nor  been  removed  from  scenes  of  gentlest 
courtesy.  His  name  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  the  hero  of  new 
ORLEANS,  whose  military  ability  covered  with  glory  our  citizen 
soldiers  :  and  his  presidential  career  will  afford  to  the  future  historian 
and  the  political  economist  many  important  incidents  and  lessons  of 
wisdom. 


Jjrawn  from  life  .and  Engraved  iri'  James  B.  1 , 


:^^-^ 


-.-I  ,,,-,.,lmr'.-Ol-A--.ol  Cnnor^i,-  ,„  ilv".-T  IH'.'^l,.:  V.m—-  HI  -.n^a^"-  n  'L-    '•1..V-,    .ifr.,,  „f  i 


DANIEL     WEBSTER. 


Daniel  Webster  was  bora  in  Salisbury,  at  the  head  of  the 
Merrimack  river,  in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire,  on  the  18th  of 
January,  1782.  His  father,  always  a  farmer,  but  at  one  period  an 
officer  in  the  war  of  the  revokition,  and  for  many  years  judge  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas ,  was  a  man  of  a  strongly  marked  character, 
full  of  decision,  integrity,  firmness,  and  good  sense.  He  died  in  1806, 
having  lived,  to  see  the  spot  where  he  had,  with  great  difficulty, 
established  himself,  changed  from  being  the  frontier  of  civilization, 
to  be  the  centre  of  a  happy  population,  abounding  in  prosperity  and 
resources. 

The  early  youth  of  Mr.  Webster  was  passed  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  where  the  means  for  forming  the  character  we  now  witness 
in  him,  seemed  absolutely  wanting ;  and  but  for  the  characteristic 
policy  of  New  England,  which  carries  its  free  schools  even  into  the 
wilderness,  he  would  have  passed  the  "  mute  inglorious"  life,  which 
is  entailed  upon  the  peasantry  of  less  favored  countries.  But  the  first 
upward  aspiration,  notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  circumstances 
in  which  he  was  placed,  was  early  given  ;  and  the  impulse  thus 
imparted  to  his  young  mind  was  never  lost.  Struggling  always  with 
difficulties,  and  not  without  great  sacrifices  on  the  part  of  his  family, 
he  was  prepared  for  a  higher  course  of  education ;  and,  at  last,  was 
graduated,  in  1801 ,  at  Dartmouth  college,  having  already  developed 
faculties,  which,  so  far  as  his  academic  career  was  concerned,  left  all 
rivalship  far  behind  him. 

His  professional  studies  in  the  law  were  begun  in  his  native  town, 
under  Mr.  Thompson,  soon  afterwards  a  member  of  congress,  and 
completed  in  Boston,  under  Mr.  Gore,  afterwards  governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  one  of  its  senators  in  congress,  whose  whole  character, 
private,  political,  and  professional,  from  its  elevation,  purity,  and 
dignity,  was  singularly  fitted  to  influence  a  young  man  of  quick  and 
generous  feelings,  who  already  perceived  within  himself  the  impulse 
of  talents  and  the  stirring  of  an  ambition,  whose  direction  was  yet  to 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

be  determined.  It  was  in  Boston,  that  Mr.  Webster  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  in  1805  ;  and  it  is  a  fact  worth  remembering,  that,  when 
Mr.  Gore  presented  him  to  the  court,  he  ventured  to  make  a  prediction 
respecting  his  pupil's  future  eminence,  which  all  his  present  fame 
has  not  more  than  fulfilled. 

Mr.  Webster  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Boscawen,  a 
small  village  near  the  place  of  his  nativity ;  but,  in  1807,  removed 
to  Portsmouth,  the  commercial  capital  of  New  Hampshire.  There 
he  at  once  rose  to  the  rank  of  the  most  prominent  in  his  profession ; 
and  under  the  influence  of  such  intercourse  as  that  with  Mr.  Smith, 
then  chief  justice  of  New  Hampshire,  and  Mr.  Mason,  the  leading 
counsel  in  the  state,  and  of  the  first  order  of  minds  any  where,  he 
went  through  a  stern  intellectual  training,  and  acquired  that  un- 
sparing logic,  which  now  renders  him  in  his  turn  so  formidable  an 
adversary. 

His  first  entrance  on  public  life,  was  in  1812,  soon  after  the  decla- 
ration of  war,  when,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty,  he  was  chosen  one 
of  the  representatives  of  his  native  state  to  the  thirteenth  congress. 
His  position  there  was  a  difficult  one,  and  he  felt  it  to  be  so.  He 
was  opposed  to  the  policy  of  the  war  ;  the  state  he  represented  was 
earnestly  opposed  to  it ;  and  he  had  always,  especially  in  the  eloquent 
and  powerful  memorial  from  the  great  popular  meeting  in  Rocking- 
ham, expressed  himself  frankly  on  the  whole  subject.  But  he  was 
now  called  into  the  councils  of  the  government,  which  was  carrying 
on  the  war  itself.  He  felt  it  to  be  his  duty,  therefore,  to  make  no 
opposition  for  opposition's  sake  ;  though,  at  the  same  time,  he  felt  it 
to  be  no  less  his  duty,  to  take  heed  that,  neither  the  constitution,  nor 
the  interests  of  the  nation,  were  endangered  or  sacrificed.  When, 
therefore,  Mr.  Monroe's  bill,  for  a  sort  of  conscription,  was  introduced, 
he  joined  with  Mr.  Eppes,  and  other  friends  of  the  administration, 
and  defeated  a  project,  which,  except  in  a  moment  of  great  anxiety 
and  excitement,  would  probably  never  have  been  proposed.  But 
when,  on  the  other  hand,  the  bill,  "for  encouraging  enlistments," 
was  before  the  house,  he  made  a  speech,  in  January,  1814,  in  favor 
of  adequate  naval  defence,  and  a  perfect  military  protection  of  the 
northern  frontier,  which,  now  the  passions  of  that  stormy  period  are 
hushed,  will  fiiid  an  echo  in  the  heart  of  every  lover  of  his  country. 

On  the  subject  of  a  national  bank,  he  took  the  same  independent 
and  patriotic  ground,  and  maintained  it  with  equal  vigor  and  firmness. 
The  administration,  having  found  a  bank  indispensable,  applied  to 
congress  for  one,  with  fifty  millions  of  capital,  five  only  of  which 


DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

were  to  be  in  specie,  and  the  rest  in  the  depreciated  government 
securities  of  the  period,  with  an  obligation  to  lend  the  treasury  thirty- 
millions  ;  but  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  paying  its  own  notes  in 
gold  and  silver.  The  project  of  such  a  bank,  having  passed  the 
senate,  came  to  the  house,  and  was  there  discussed,  December,  1814, 
and  January,  1815.  Mr.  Webster  opposed  it,  on  the  ground,  that 
it  would  only  increase  the  embarrassments  in  the  fiscal  operations 
of  the  nation,  and  the  pecuniary  transactions  of  individuals,  which 
were  already  in  confusion,  by  the  refusal  of  all  the  state  banks  south 
of  New  England,  to  pay  in  specie.  He  was,  no  doubt,  right ;  and, 
probably,  nobody  now,  on  reviewing  the  discussion  of  the  whole 
subject,  would  doubt  it.  But  he  carried  his  point,  and  defeated  the 
bill,  only  by  the  casting  vote  of  the  speaker,  Mr.  Cheves. 

Mr.  Webster's  opposition  to  the  bank,  however,  had  not  been 
factious ;  and,  therefore,  the  very  next  day,  he  took  the  initiative 
steps  for  bringing  the  whole  subject  immediately  before  the  house 
again ;  and  a  sound,  specie-paying  bank,  was  almost  as  immediately 
agreed  to ;  Mr.  Webster,  and  most  of  his  friends,  voting  for  it. 
The  bill,  however,  to  establish  it,  was  rejected  by  the  president,  on 
the  ground,  that  it  was  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the 
case ;  which,  indeed,  we  now  know  no  bank  would  have  been  able 
to  meet ;  and  thus  the  question  was  again  brought  into  a  severe  and 
protracted  discussion,  which  was  ended  only  by  the  unexpected  news 
of  the  peace,  January  17,  1815. 

But  the  peace  brought  with  it  other  conflicts  and  trials  of  the 
same  nature.  When  the  bill  for  the  present  bank  of  the  United 
States  was  introduced,  Mr.  Webster  opposed  it,  on  the  ground,  that 
the  capital  proposed  was  too  large,  and  that  it  contained  a  provision 
to  authorize  a  suspension  of  specie  payments.  On  both  points,  his 
opposition,  with  that  of  his  friends,  was  successful ;  but  still,  he  was 
not  satisfied  with  the  bill ;  and  the  suggestions  he  made,  predicting 
enormous  subscriptions  to  the  stock  for  purposes  of  speculation 
merely,  and  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  real  ability  of  the  subscribers, 
showed  the  statesman-like  forecast,  which  has  marked  his  whole 
political  course;  and  were  sadly  justified  by  the  difficulties  that 
occurred  in  the  early  history  of  the  bank  itself. 

Still  less,  however,  was  he  satisfied  with  the  condition  of  the 
circulating  medium  of  the  country,  which  was  then  fit  neither  for 
the  safe  management  of  the  concerns  of  the  government,  nor  for  the 
security  of  private  property.  A  large  part  of  it  consisted  in  the 
depreciated  notes  of  the  state  banks,  south  of  New  England,  in  wliich 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

even  the  revenue  of  the  government  was  receivable,  at  the  different 
custom  houses ;  so  that  there  was  a  difference,  he  declared,  of  at 
least  twenty-five  per  cent,  in  the  rates  of  duties  collected  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  according  to  the  value  of  the  paper  medium  in 
which  they  were  paid.  The  vast  mischief  which  would  follow  this 
state  of  things  were  at  once  foreseen  by  Mr.  Webster  ;  and  he 
introduced  a  resolution,  requiring  the  revenue  of  the  United  States 
to  be  collected  only  in  the  legal  currency  of  the  United  States,  or  in 
bills  equal  to  that  currency  in  value.  The  passage  of  this  resolution, 
the  defeat  of  the  paper- currency  bank  proposed  in  1814,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  present  specie-paying  bank,  have  saA^ed  us  from 
confusion  and  disasters,  which  Mr.  Webster  so  clearly  foresaw, 
and  on  which,  now  we  understand  more  of  their  nature  and  extent, 
it  is  hardly  possible  to  look  back  with  composure. 

The  same  principles  and  doctrines  were  again  maintained  by  him, 
with  equal  steadiness,  when  the  question  of  re-chartering  the  bank 
came  up,  in  1832.  The  objection  of  too  large  a  capital  was  then 
removed,  as  he  conceived,  by  the  increased  population,  wealth,  and 
wants  of  the  country ;  and  the  objection  to  indiscriminate  subscription 
could  not  recur,  if  the  charter  were  renewed.  Mr.  Webster, 
therefore,  sustained  it ;  and  when  the  president  had  placed  his  veto 
upon  it,  rejoined,  not  on  the  ground  sometimes  taken,  that  the 
president  had  exceeded  his  authority ;  but,  on  the  ground  that  he 
had  exercised  it  to  the  injury  of  the  country,  and  that  the  reasons  he 
had  given  for  it  were  untenable. 

In  1816,  Mr.  Webster  determined  to  retire,  at  least  for  a  time, 
from  public  life,  and  to  change  his  residence.  He  had  then  lived  in 
Portsmouth  nine  years,  and  they  had  been  to  him  years  of  great 
happiness  in  his  private  relations,  and,  in  his  relations  to  the  country, 
years  of  remarkable  advancement  and  honor.  But,  in  the  disastrous 
fire,  which,  in  1813,  destroyed  a  large  part  of  that  devoted  town,  he 
had  sustained  a  heavy  pecuniary  loss,  which  the  opportunities  offered 
by  his  profession  in  New  Hampshire  were  not  likely  to  repair.  He 
determined,  therefore,  to  establish  himself  in  a  larger  capital ;  and, 
in  the  summer  of  1816,  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  has  ever  since 
resided. 

His  object  was  now  professional  occupation ;  and  he  devoted  him- 
self to  it,  for  six  or  eight  years,  with  unremitting  assiduity  ;  refusing 
to  accept  ofiice,  or  to  mingle  in  political  discussion.  His  success  was 
correspondent  to  his  exertions.  He  was  already  known  as  a  distin- 
guished lawyer  in  his  native  state,  and  beginning  to  be  known  as 


DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

such  in  Massachusetts.  The  Dartmouth  college  cause,  which  he 
argued,  in  March,  1818,  in  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States, 
placed  him  in  the  first  rank  of  American  jurists,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-six ;  and  from  that  time  his  attendance  on  this  great  tribunal 
has  been  constantly  secured  by  retainers  in  the  most  important 
causes  ;  and  the  circle  of  his  professional  business,  which  has  been 
regularly  enlarging,  has  not  been  exceeded,  if  it  has  been  equalled, 
by  that  of  any  other  lawyer,  who  has  ever  appeared  in  the  national 
forum.  Few  of  his  arguments,  however,  are  reported,  and  even 
those  few  are  exhibited  only  in  a  dry  and  technical  outline.  Among 
them,  the  most  remarkable  are,  the  case  of  Gibbons  vs.  Ogden,  in 
1824,  involving  the  question  of  the  steam-boat  monopoly ;  and  the 
case  of  Ogden  vs.  Saunders,  1827,  involving  the  question  of  state 
insolvent  laws,  when  they  purport  to  absolve  the  party  from  the 
obligation  of  the  contract.  In  these,  and  in  all  his  other  forensic 
efforts,  we  see  what  is  most  characteristic  of  Mr.  Webster's  mind 
as  a  lawyer :  his  clearness  and  downright  simplicity  in  stating  facts  ; 
his  acute  analysis  of  difficulties ;  his  earnest  pursuit  of  truth  for 
truth's  sake,  and  of  the  principles  of  law  for  the  sake  of  right  and 
justice;  and  his  desire  to  attain  them  all  by  the  most  direct  and 
simple  means.  It  is  this  plainness,  this  simplicity,  in  fact,  that  makes 
him  so  prevalent  with  the  jury  ;  and  not  only  with  the  jury  in  court, 
but  with  the  great  jury  of  the  whole  people. 

But,  during  the  years  just  passed  over,  Mr.  Webster's  success 
was  not  confined  to  the  bar.  In  the  year  1820-21,  he  was  a  member 
of  a  convention  of  delegates,  assembled  in  Boston,  to  revise  the  con- 
stitution of  Massachusetts,  and  exercised  a  preponderating  influence 
in  an  assembly  of  greater  dignity  and  talent  than  was  ever  before 
collected  in  that  ancient  commonwealth.  On  the  22d  of  December, 
1820,  the  day  when  the  two  hundredth  year  from  the  first  landing 
of  the  forefathers,  at  Plymouth,  was  completed,  Mr.  Webster,  by 
the  sure  indication  of  the  public  will,  was  summoned  to  that  conse- 
crated spot,  and,  in  an  address,  which  is  the  gravest  of  his  published 
works,  so  spoke  of  the  centuries  past,  that  the  centuries  yet  to  come 
shall  receive  and  remember  his  words.  Again,  in  1825,  fifty  years 
from  the  day  when  the  solemn  drama  of  the  American  revolution 
was  opened,  on  Bunker's  hill,  Mr.  Webster  stood  there,  and  inter- 
preted to  assembled  thousands  the  feelings  with  which  that  great 
event  will  for  ever  be  regarded.  Again,  too,  in  the  summer  of  1826, 
he  was  called  upon  to  commemorate  the  services  which  Adams  and 
Jefferson  had  rendered,  when  they  carried  through  the  declaration 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

of  independence ;  and  which  they  so  mysteriously  sealed,  by  their 
common  death,  exactly  half  a  century  afterwards.  And  finally,  on 
the  22d  of  February,  1832,  at  the  completion  of  a  century  from  the 
birth  of  Washington,  and  in  the  city  which  bears  his  name,  Mr. 
Webster  exhibited  him  to  the  country  as  standing-  at  the  head  alike 
of  a  new  world,  and  of  a  new  era,  in  the  history  of  man.  These 
four  occasions  were  all  memorable ;  as  memorable,  perhaps,  as  any 
that  have  occurred  to  Americans  in  our  time ;  and  the  genius  of  Mr. 
Webster  has  sent  them  down,  marked  with  its  impress,  to  posterity. 

But,  during  a  part  of  the  period  over  which  we  have  slightly 
passed,  he  was  again  in  public  life.  From  1823  to  1827,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  house  of  representatives,  from  the  city  of  Boston,  in 
the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  congresses.  His  first  distinguished 
effort,  on  this  second  appearance  in  the  national  councils,  was  his 
"Greek  speech,"  in  which,  with  the  forecast  of  a  statesman,  he 
showed,  as  plainly  as  events  have  since  proved  it,  that  the  principles 
laid  down  by  the  great  powers  in  Europe  from  the  congress  of  Paris, 
in  1814,  to  that  of  Laybach,  in  1821,  as  the  basis  on  which  to  main- 
tain the  peace  of  the  world,  mistook  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  would 
speedily  be  overturned  by  the  irresistible  power  of  popular  opinion. 
In  1824,  he  entered  fully  into  the  great  discussions  about  the  tariff; 
and  examined  the  doctrines  of  exchange,  and  the  balance  of  trade, 
with  an  ability  which  has  prevented  them  from  being  since,  what 
they  had  so  often  been  before,  subjects  of  crude  and  unsatisfactory 
controversy  in  both  houses  of  congress.  In  1 825,  he  prepared  and 
carried  through  the  crimes  act,  which,  as  a  just  tribute  to  his  address 
and  exertions,  his  great  wisdom  and  patient  labor,  already  bears  his 
name ;  and,  in  the  same  session  of  congress,  he  defended,  as  he  had 
defended  them  in  1816,  the  principles  involved  in  the  exercise  of  the 
power  of  internal  improvements  by  the  general  government.  These, 
with  the  discussions  respecting  the  bill  for  enlarging  the  number  of 
judges  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  and  respecting  the 
Panama  mission,  were  the  more  prominent  subjects  on  which  Mr. 
Webster  exhibited  his  remarkable  powers  during  the  four  sessions 
in  which  he  represented  the  city  of  Boston  in  the  house  of 
representatives. 

In  1826,  he  was  reelected,  almost  unanimously,  to  represent  the 
same  district  yet  a  third  time ;  but,  before  he  had  taken  his  seat,  a 
vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  senate,  he  was  chosen,  without  any 
regular  opposition,  to  fill  it ;  an  honor,  which  was  again  conferred 
upon  him  in  1833,  by  a  sort  of  general  consent  and  acclamation. 


DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

How  he  has  borne  himself  as  a  senator,  is  known  to  the  whole 
country.  No  man  has  been  found  able  to  intercept  from  him  the 
constant  regard  of  the  nation ;  so  that,  whatever  he  has  said,  has 
been  watched  and  understood  throughout  the  borders  of  the  land, 
almost  as  familiarly  and  thoroughly  as  it  has  been  at  Washington. 
The  speeches  he  has  made  on  the  great  questions  of  the  tariff,  and 
of  internal  improvements ;  his  beautiful  defence  of  the  bill  for  the 
relief  of  the  surviving  officers  of  the  revolution ;  his  report  on  the 
apportionment  of  representatives  ;  and  his  statesman-like  discussions 
respecting  a  national  bank ;  are  known  to  all  who  Imow  any  thino- 
about  the  affairs  of  the  country.  But,  though  the  eyes  of  all  have 
thus  been  fastened  on  him,  in  such  a  way,  that  nothing  relating  to 
him,  can  have  escaped  their  notice,  there  are  two  occasions,  where 
he  has  attracted  a  kind  and  degree  of  attention,  which,  as  it  is  rarely 
given  to  any  man  in  any  country,  is  so  much  the  more  honorable 
whenever  it  is  obtained.  We  refer  noAv,  of  course,  to  the  two  great 
debates  of  1830  and  1833,  when  he  overthrew  the  doctrine  of 
nullification. 

An  attempt  to  put  a  construction  upon  the  constitution,  which  has 
resulted  in  these  doctrines,  can  be  traced  back  as  far  as  to  May,  1828, 
when  two  or  more  meetings,  of  the  South  Carolina  delegates,  were 
held  at  General  Hayne's  lodgings,  in  Washington;  and  to  the 
assembling  of  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina,  in  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year,  when,  on  the  19th  of  December,  a  document,  called,  "  An 
Exposition  and  Protest,"  prepared,  as  is  understood,  by  Mr.  Calhoun, 
then  vice  president  of  the  United  States,  was  produced,  in  order  to 
exhibit  and  enforce"  those  doctrines,  on  which  that  state  relied  for 
success  in  the  contest  into  which  she  was  then  entering.  In  January, 
1830,  in  the  confident  hope  of  obtaining  further  sanction  to  them, 
they  were  brought  forward  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  by 
General  Hayne ;  though  the  resolution,  under  color  of  which  they 
were  thus  produced,  had  nothing  to  do  with  them.  Mr.  Webster 
was,  therefore,  in  a  measure,  taken  by  surprise ;  but  his  whole  life 
had  been  a  preparation  for  an  encounter  with  any  man,  who  should 
assail  the  great  principles  of  the  federal  constitution ;  and  his  speeches, 
on  this  occasion,  in  reply  to  General  Hayne,  though  called  from  him 
almost  without  premeditation,  are  the  result  of  principles  which  had 
grown  up  with  him  from  his  youth,  and  were  now  developed  with 
all  the  matured  power  of  his  mind  and  strength. 

The  same  consequences,  or  consequences  even  more  honorable, 
to  Mr.  Webster,  followed  the  attempt  made  in  the  winter  of  1833, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

to  enforce  in  the  senate  the  same  unsound  doctrines  ;  and  the  tumul- 
tuous and  unparliamentary  shout  of  applause  that  followed  his  great 
speech,  in  reply  to  Mr.  Calhoun,  which  burst  involuntarily  from  the 
hearts  of  the  multitude,  that  listened  to  him,  has  since  been  echoed 
from  all  the  borders  of  the  land. 

These,  indeed,  are  the  triumphs  peculiarly  adapted  to  Mr.  Web- 
ster's extraordinary  powers.  He  is  eminently  and  entirely  the  child 
of  our  free  institutions.  None  other  could  have  educated  or  reared 
him ;  in  none  other  could  his  talents  find  their  most  appropriate  and 
lofty  exercise.  From  the  days  when,  amidst  the  fastnesses  of  nature, 
his  young  feet  with  difficulty  sought  the  rude  school  house,  where 
his  earliest  aspirations  were  nurtured,  up  to  the  moment  when  he 
came  forth  from  the  senate  chamber,  conscious  that  he  had  overthrown 
the  doctrine  of  nullification,  and  contended  successfully  for  the  union 
of  the  states,  it  is  plain  that  he  has  constantly  depended  for  the 
highest  development  and  the  proudest  exercise  of  his  imposing  talents, 
on  the  free  institutions  of  our  free  government ;  so  that,  whatever 
may  be  his  future  destiny,  his  hopes  and  his  fortunes  can  be  advanced 
only  by  the  continued  stability  and  progress  of  what  is  essentially 
characteristic  of  us  as  a  free  and  an  united  people. 


Drurri  f[<7n^tiri-  ^  K,ii^ziicdl)]-J.B.lianguie. 


WILLIAM     WIRT. 


It  is  a  particular  felicity  of  our  republican  institutions,  that  they 
throw  no  impediment  in  the  career  of  merit,  but  the  competition  of 
rival  abilities.  Into  this  career,  it  may  enter  without  encountering 
the  repulses  of  artificial  rank,  or  winning  its  patronage  by  unworthy 
compliances.  As  the  father  of  an  American  family  divides  his  favor 
and  his  fortune  ahke  among  his  children,  so,  the  republic  gives  the 
same  impulse  to  all  her  sons,  and  receives  in  return  a  larger  contri- 
bution of  their  talents  and  services.  There  are  many,  no  doubt,  who 
have  overcome  much  greater  embarrassments  than  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  :  nevertheless,  he  is  one  of  the  many  examples  of  this  sort, 
pleasing  in  themselves,  especially  when  considered  as  characteristic 
of  the  country. 

William  Wirt,  the  late  attorney  general  of  the  United  States,  is 
a  native  of  Bladensburg,  in  Maryland ;  was  born  on  the  ISth  of 
November,  1772,  and  lost  his  parents  at  a  very  early  age.  This 
event  placed  him  under  the  guardianship  of  his  paternal  uncle, 
Jasper  Wirt,  also  a  resident  of  the  same  village,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  which  William  received  the  rudiments  of  his  education.  In  his 
seventh  year  he  was  removed  to  a  school  in  Georgetown,  District 
of  Columbia,  and  thence  to  another,  at  New  Port  Church,  Charles 
county,  Maryland ;  but  the  chief  part  of  his  education  was  received 
at  the  school  of  the  Reverend  James  Hunt,  in  Montgomery  county, 
at  which  he  was  placed  in  his  eleventh  year,  and  continued  till 
he  was  fifteen.  Under  the  instruction  of  this  gentleman,  he  went 
through  the  usual  course  of  the  grammar  schools  of  those  days,  being 
initiated  in  the  Latin  and  Greek  classics,  and  in  some  of  the  branches 
of  the  mathematics,  to  which  his  teacher  added  some  instruction  in 
natural  philosophy.  Here,  too,  he  had  the  advantage  of  a  good 
miscellaneous  hbrary,  cultivated  his  taste  for  polite  literature,  and 
became  a  confirmed  student  and  author  when  about  thirteen  years  of 
age.  As  Montgomery  court-house  was  at  no  great  distance,  the  boys 
were  allowed  to  visit  it  occasionally  on  court  days,  and  in  imitation 
of  what  they  saw  and  heard  there,  they  formed  a  court  of  their  own. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Wirt  draughted  the  constitution  and  laws,  whicli  he  reported  with 
an  apologetic  letter  prefixed.  On  the  school  being  broken  up,  in 
1787,  Mr.  Benjamin  Edwards,  the  father  of  one  of  his  schoolfellows, 
(Ninian  Edwards,  the  late  governor  of  Illinois,)  having  seen  the  juve- 
nile essay  and  letter  alluded  to,  was  induced  to  invite  their  author 
under  his  roof,  where  he  accordingly  remained  in  the  capacity  of 
teacher  about  a  year  and  a  half  This  was  a  fortunate  event  to  a 
young  man  whose  patrimony  was  inadequate  to  support  him  at 
college,  or  in  the  acquirement  of  a  profession ;  and  Mr.  Wirt  has 
often  been  heard  to  express  his  conviction,  that  to  Mr.  Edwards' 
peculiar  and  happy  cast  of  character,  he  owed  most  of  what  may  be 
praiseworthy  in  his  own. 

From  this  residence,  and  these  occupations,  he  was  forced  by  some 
symptoms  of  bad  health,  and  went,  for  the  benefit  of  the  climate,  to 
Augusta,  in  Georgia.  On  his  return  in  the  succeeding  spring,  he 
began  the  study  of  law  at  Montgomery  court-house,  with  Mr.  William 
P.  Hunt,  the  son  of  his  former  preceptor.  He  was  afterward  a  student 
at  Leesburg,  Virginia,  under  Mr.  Thomas  Swann ;  was  licensed  for 
practice  in  the  autumn  of  1792,  and  removed  to  Culpepper  Court- 
house, in  Virginia,  where  he  the  same  year  began  the  professional 
career,  in  which  he  has  attained  such  eminent  renown. 

He  at  this  time  possessed  a  vigorous  constitution,  with  a  prepos- 
sessing mien  and  manners ;  these,  combined  with  great  felicity  of 
conversation,  and  a  lively,  fertile  wit,  are  described  by  one  who  knew 
him  a  short  time  after  this  date,  to  have  been  attractive  in  a  very 
uncommon  degree,  and  to  have  made  his  society  eagerly  sought, 
especially  by  the  gay  and  young.  His  first  essay  at  the  bar  was 
fortunate,  and  gained  him  friends,  as  well  as  subsequent  success. 
He  married,  in  1795,  Mildred,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Doctor  George 
Gilmer,  of  Pen  Park,  near  Charlottesville.  Residing,  after  his  mar- 
riage, in  the  family  of  his  father-in-law,  who  was  an  accomplished 
scholar  and  wit,  as  well  as  an  eminent  physician,  and  the  intimate 
associate  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  Mr.  Madison,  and  Mr.  Monroe,  he  found 
in  these  celebrated  men,  and  in  others,  who  were  attracted  by  the 
benevolent  character  and  hospitality  of  Doctor  Gilmer,  very  cordial 
as  well  as  desirable  friends ;  while  in  the  elegant  library  of  the  latter, 
he  cultivated  his  mind  by  the  study  of  the  elder  philosophical  writers, 
or  employed  himself  assiduously  in  composition. 

The  death  of  his  wife,  an  accomplished  and  amiable  woman,  in 
1799,  interrupted  this  happy  and  profitable  course  of  life,  and  sus- 
pended, for  a  while,  his  professional  pursuits.     For  change  of  scene, 


WILLIAM  WIRT. 

he  was  persuaded  to  go  to  Richmond,  his  friends  procuring  his 
election  to  the  clerkship  of  the  house  of  delegates,  which  post  he  held 
during  three  sessions  of  the  assembly.  Not  having  entirely  relin- 
quished the  practice  of  law,  he  volunteered,  in  1800,  in  the  well-known 
trial  of  Cal lender;  and  in  the  same  year  he  was  selected  to  pronounce 
the  anniversary  oration  on  the  fourth  of  July. 

The  charm  of  his  conversation  and  manners,  which  had  won  him 
distinguished  esteem  in  the  elevated  and  intellectual  circle  of  Pen 
Park  and  Monticello,  followed  him  into  the  associations,  which,  as 
clerk  of  the  house  of  delegates,  he  was  thrown  into,  with  the  members 
of  the  legislature.  That  body  gave  him  a  signal  mark  of  its  consi- 
deration, by  appointing  him,  in  1802,  the  chancellor  of  the  eastern 
chancerv  district  of  Virginia. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  married  the  daughter  of  the 
late  Colonel  Gamble,  of  Richmond,  and  finding  the  salary  of  the 
chancellorship  unequal  to  the  support  of  a  family,  he  resigned  it,  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  law.  It  was  just  before  he  removed  to  Nor- 
folk, in  the  winter  of  1803-4,  that  he  wrote  the  essays  under  the 
name  of  "  The  British  Spy."  They  were  published  originally  in  the 
Richmond  Argus,  and  were  hastily  composed,  under  some  uneasiness, 
which  he  hoped  to  divert,  arising  from  the  ill-health  of  his  wife. 
Some  of  the  sketches  in  these  essays  had  a  wide  popularity,  and  that 
of  the  "Blind  Preacher"  penetrated,  we  believe,  into  every  hamlet  of 
the  country. 

At  Norfolk,  he  practised  with  increasing  success  till  1806,  when, 
at  the  solicitation  of  his  friends,  he  removed  to  Richmond,  as  a  wider 
professional  theatre,  then  adorned  by  men  of  the  first  legal  talents 
and  learning.  In  this  city,  and  often,  likewise,  in  distant  parts  of  the 
state,  he  pursued  his  profession  for  eleven  years,  with  still  extending 
reputation,  which  enlarged  into  celebrity  by  the  trial  of  Aaron  Burr, 
against  whom,  under  the  direction  of  President  Jeiferson,  he  was 
employed  as  prosecuting  counsel. 

This  trial  took  place  in  1807,  soon  after  Mr.  Wirt's  removal  to 
Richmond,  and  created,  it  is  well  known,  an  earnest  interest  in  all 
classes  of  people.  Great  learning  and  abilities  were  exhibited  at  once 
in  the  prosecution  and  defence ;  public  passion  augmented  the 
intrinsic  importance  of  the  affair ;  and  the  whole  theatre  was  well 
adapted,  to  call  out  the  talents  of  the  actors  on  either  side.  The  re- 
port of  the  trial  has  made  his  speeches  familiar  to  lawyers ;  and  some 
passages  of  them  are  still  more  so,  as  popular  specimens  of  eloquence. 

In  the  following  winter    he  sat  for  the  only  time  in  a  legislative 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

body,  being  elected  without  canvass,  a  delegate  to  the  assembly  from 
Richmond.  As  a  member  of  a  committee,  he  brought  in  a  report 
and  resolutions,  respecting  the  aggressions  of  France  and  Great 
Britain  on  our  commerce,  and  in  support  of  the  consequent  measures 
of  Mr.  Jefferson's  administration.  He  wrote  in  the  same  year,  some 
essays  in  the  Richmond  Enquirer,  signed  "One  of  the  People," 
addressed  to  the  members  of  congress,  who  had  united  in  a  protest 
against  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Madison  for  president,  and  exhibiting 
the  character  and  services  of  that  illustrious  citizen.  He  published, 
about  the  same  time,  an  address  to  the  people  of  Virginia,  in  recom- 
mendation of  domestic  manufactures,  and  some  essays  signed  the 
"Sentinel,"  investigating  and  approving  some  financial  and  other 
views  of  Mr.  Jefferson. 

The  appointment  of  Mr.  Wirt  by  Mr.  Monroe,  to  the  attorney- 
generalship  of  the  United  States,  (which  had  been  preceded  by  his 
receiving  from  Mr.  Madison  the  post  of  United  States'  attorney  for 
the  district  of  Virginia,)  caused  him  to  remove  to  Washington  in  the 
winter  of  1817-18,  and  brought  him  into  the  arena  of  the  supreme 
court ;  than  which,  no  forensic  theatre,  perhaps,  ever  presented  more 
accomplished  and  powerful  antagonists.  Mr.  Wirt's  practice  soon 
became  extensive,  and  his  celebrity  kept  pace  with  it,  as  an  eloquent 
advocate  and  learned  jurist.  The  attorney-generalship  he  held 
through  three  presidential  terms,  longer  by  many  years  than  any  of 
his  predecessors ;  and  his  labors  in  this  arduous  post,  seem  to  have 
surpassed  theirs  in  the  same  proportion,  being  the  first  of  those  officers 
that  sat  in  the  cabinet,  and  the  only  one  that  left  any  official  opinions 
or  precedents,  to  guide  his  successors.  He  resigned  his  place  at  the 
end  of  Mr.  Adams'  administration,  and  removed  to  Baltimore,  where 
he  now  resides. 

Before  he  left  Washington,  he  had  pronounced,  at  the  request  of 
the  citizens  of  that  place,  an  eulogy  on  the  two  patriots,  who  by  so 
singular  a  coincidence,  ended  their  lives  on  the  same  anniversary  of 
the  national  independence.  This  composition  contains  some  pas- 
sages of  finished  oratory,  and  has  more  especially  infused  into  it  the 
classic  tincture  of  his  reading  In  1830,  he  made  at  Rutgers  college^ 
a  discourse  of  a  more  didactic  nature,  in  which  Ave  discern  that  love 
of  virtue  and  decorum,  which  breathes  in  all  his  writings.  He  was 
selected  the  same  year  to  deliver  the  address  at  the  celebration  of  the 
French  revolution  of  July,  by  the  citizens  of  Baltimore ;  and  about  the 
same  time,  he  received  a  nomination  among  the  candidates  for  the 
presidency  of  the  United  States. 


WILLIAM  WIRT. 

As  Mr.  Wirt  has  been  long  conversant  with  the  first  minds  of  the 
age,  as  well  as  in  an  avocation  which  presents  life  in  many  aspects, 
his  conversation  abounds  with  characteristic  anecdotes,  to  which  his 
knowledge  gives  grace  ;  and  his  disposition  to  view  mankind  on  their 
better  side,  a  touch  of  good  nature.  His  wit  is  tinged  with  the  same 
good  feeling,  and  though  it  can  be  roused  into  sarcasm,  is  playful 
and  gentle.  Few  men,  in  so  extensive  and  successful  a  career,  have 
excited  so  little  enmity,  or  been  the  object  of  as  general  and  durable 
regard. 

As  a  writer,  Mr.  Wirt  is  chiefly  known  by  productions,  which 
were  the  work,  or  rather  the  amusement,  of  a  very  small  portion  of 
leisure.  The  essays  of  the  "Spy,"  and  the  "Old  Bachelor,"  which 
were  never  anticipated  to  live  beyond  the  date  of  the  journals  they 
appeared  in,  were  composed  under  the  double  haste  of  daily  business 
and  the  prompting  of  the  occasion.  Under  such  circumstances,  we 
may  wonder,  that  a  lawyer  devoted  with  especial  sedulousness  to  his 
pursuits,  who  at  no  time  languished  in  want  of  practice,  and  who, 
when  the  last  of  them  appeared,  had  reached  high  emolument  and 
honor,  should  have  had  the  time,  the  taste,  and  the  affection  for 
letters,  to  send  forth  two  series  of  essays,  which  were  received  with 
uncommon  pleasure  by  the  public.  Indeed  they  have  obtained  what 
may  be  considered  a  permanent  popularity;  the  "Old  Bachelor,'' 
having  gone  through  three  editions,  and  the  "  British  Spy"  through 
nine.  Their  tone  is  elevated,  the  thoughts  for  the  most  part  elegant 
and  natural,  and  in  sketches  of  character  and  manner,  the  author  has 
been  particularly  happy. 

In  the  "  Life  of  Patrick  Henry,"  as  being  the  work  of  more  mature 
age,  we  might  expect  the  ornamental  declamation,  sometimes  objected 
to  his  writings,  to  be  much  abated.  But  though  this  biography  was 
designed  by  the  author  for  many  years,  it  eventually  passed  from  his 
hands  under  the  same  circumstances  of  haste,  as  his  other  productions. 
He  had  also  for  a  subject  a  very  extraordinary  man,  of  whom  it  was 
difficult  to  speak  in  the  terms  employed  by  the  witnesses  of  his 
displays,  without  being  thought  to  surcharge  the  picture  ;  and  who, 
while  he  commanded  the  unlimited  admiration  of  his  contemporaries, 
especially  in  his  native  state,  may  be  said  to  have  left  scarcely  "  the 
foot  of  Hercules,"  by  which  posterity  might  compute  the  proportions 
of  the  whole  heroic  image. 

The  oratorical  diction  of  Mr.  Wirt  is  correct  and  elegant,  various 
as  well  as  rich,  and  remarkably  perspicuous.  As  to  the  personal 
qualifications  for  his  art,  his  figure  has  been  said  by  an  eloquent 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

panegyrist  of  him,  to  be  "  dignified  and  commanding ;  his  counte- 
nance open,  manly,  and  playful ;  his  voice  clear  and  musical ;  his 
whole  appearance  truly  oratorical."  His  aspect  expresses  both 
benignity  and  intelligence.  His  enunciation  is  distinct ;  and  it  merits 
perhaps  to  be  mentioned,  both  as  an  encouragement  to  such  as  labor 
under  a  like  embarrassment,  and  an  example  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished by  care,  under  the  guidance  of  a  good  taste  and  a  fine  ear, 
that  this  was  by  no  means  the  case  at  an  earlier  period.  On  the 
contrary,  it  was  then  somewhat  hurried  and  harsh,  and  sometimes 
inarticulate.  His  action  is  unstudied,  and  perhaps  less  energetic  than 
graceful. 

The  qualities  of  Mr.  Wirt  in  private  intercourse  have  been  already 
slightly  spoken  of,  and  more  might  be  added,  if  such  a  topic  could  be 
properly  enlarged  on.  It  is  of  that  general  cast  which  may  be 
gathered  from  his  writings,  and  thus  far,  therefore,  may  be  adverted 
to  without  flattery.  "  Bonum  virum  facile  crederes,  magnum  liben- 
ter."  As  he  has  lived  much  and  familiarly  with  the  first  men  of  the 
country,  and  has  strong  powers  of  observation  and  memory,  with 
equal  felicity  of  anecdote,  it  is  a  natural  wish,  that  he  may  find  leisure 
to  record  his  recollections,  if  not  for  the  amusement  of  the  present 
age,  at  least  for  the  instruction  of  a  succeeding  one. 

9 


-srarcdbv  TB.Welcli  ftcrtnariiawi.i^lyiSJ.orv^rt 


ILU'WHg^  (SJii 


fcL)  0 


LEWIS    CASS. 


In  presenting  to  the  public  a  series  of  portraits  and  memoirs  of  men 
distinguished  in  public  life,  it  is  scarcely  to  be  hoped  that  our  selec- 
tions should  always  meet  with  uniform  approval.  The  strong  bias 
of  party  spirit,  of  sectional  interest,  or  of  professional  collision,  may 
sometimes  award  us  but  faint  praise.  We  shall,  however,  endeavor 
to  pursue  our  course  with  strict  impartiality.  Public  men,  who 
maintain  an  elevated  rank  in  popular  favor,  in  a  country  where  their 
opinions  and  acts  are  open  to  certain  scrutiny  and  free  remark,  must 
be  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  merit.  And  we  believe  that  we 
shall  have  public  opinion  decidedly  with  us,  when  we  say,  that  it  has 
fallen  to  the  lot  of  few  to  occupy  as  various  and  important  stations 
in  the  republic  with  so  large  a  share  of  approbation,  as  the  subject  of 
the  present  sketch. 

Lewis  Cass,  the  present  Secretary  of  War,  was  born  in  Exeter, 
New  Hampshire,  October  9th,  1782.  His  ancestors  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  that  part  of  the  country,  and  his  father  bore  a  commis- 
sion in  the  revolutionary  army,  which  he  joined  the  day  after  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  and  in  which  he  continued  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  having  participated  in  the  memorable  battles  of  Bunker  Hill, 
Saratoga,  Trenton,  Princeton,  Monmouth,  and  Germantown.  He 
was  afterwards  a  major  in  Wayne's  army.  In  1799  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Marietta,  but  eventually  settled  at  Wackalomoka.  in  the 
vicinity  of  Zanesville,  in  Ohio,  where,  after  a  life  of  honorable 
usefulness,  he  died  in  August,  1830. 

His  son,  Lewis  Cass,  was  educated  at  the  academy  of  Exeter, 
and  studied  law  at  Marietta,  under  the  late  Governor  Meiffs.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1802,  and  pursued  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion successfully  during  several  years. 

In  1806  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Ohio  legislature.  When 
the  enterprise  of  Colonel  Burr  began  to  agitate  the  country,  he  was 
appointed  on  the  committee  to  which  the  subject  was  referred,  and 
drafted  the  law  which  enabled  the  local  authorities  to  arrest  the  men 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

and  boats  on  their  passage  down  the  Ohio.  This  law,  interposing 
the  arm  of  the  state,  batiled  a  project  which  was  generally  believed 
to  have  been  of  a  revolutionary  character,  and  intended  to  divide  the 
west  from  the  east.  The  same  pen  drafted  the  address  to  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, which  unfolded  the  views  of  the  Ohio  legislature  on  this 
momentous  subject. 

In  1807,  Mr.  Cass  was  appointed  marshal  of  the  state,  which  office 
he  resigned  in  1813.  In  1812,  he  volunteered  his  services  in  the 
force  which  was  called  out  to  joiu  the  army  under  General  William 
Hull,  and  marched  to  Dayton,  where  he  was  elected  colonel  of  the  3d 
regiment  of  Ohio  volunteers.  Having  to  break  through  an  almost 
trackless  wilderness,  the  army  suffered  much  on  its  route  to  Detroit, 
and  it  was  necessary  that  the  officers  of  the  volunteers  should  be 
exemplars  in  fatigue  and  privations,  lest  the  men,  unused  to  military 
discipline,  should  turn  back  in  discouragement.  Colonel  Cass  was 
among  the  most  urgent  for  an  invasion  of  the  Canadian  province 
immediately  after  the  army  arrived  at  Detroit ;  but  General  Hull  did 
not  cross  the  river  until  after  the  lapse  of  several  days,  and  thereby 
lost  all  the  advantages  of  a  prompt  and  decisive  movement.  The 
advanced  detachment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Cass,  and  he  was 
the  first  man  who  landed,  in  arms,  on  the  enemy's  shore  after  the 
declaration  of  war.  On  entering  Canada,  General  Hull  distributed  a 
proclamation  among  the  inhabitants,  which,  at  the  time,  had  much 
notoriety,  and  was  generally  ascribed  to  Colonel  Cass  :  it  is  now 
known  that  he  wrote  it.  Whatever  opinions  may  have  been  enter- 
tained of  the  inglorious  descent  from  promise  to  fulfilment,  it  was 
generally  regarded  as  a  high  spirited  and  eloquent  document.  Colonel 
Cass  soon  dislodged  the  British  posted  at  the  bridge  over  the  Canards. 
There  he  maintained  his  ground,  in  expectation  that  the  army  would 
advance  and  follow  up  the  success,  by  striking  at  Maiden ;  but  he 
was  disappointed  by  the  indecision  of  the  general,  who  ordered  the 
detachment  to  return. 

In  all  the  timorous  and  inefficient  measures  which  followed. 
Colonel  Cass  had  no  responsible  participation.  His  known  disap- 
probation of  the  course  pursued,  made  him  an  unwelcome  counsellor 
at  head  quarters.  When  the  army  capitulated  he  was  not  present ; 
but  the  detachment  with  which  he  was  serving,  under  Colonel 
M' Arthur,  was  included,  and  being  unable  to  retreat  by  the  imprac- 
ticable route  behind  it,  submitted,  and  was  embarked  for  Ohio. 
Colonel  Cass  immediately  repaired  to  Washington,  and  made  a  report 
to  government.     In  the  following  spring  he  was  exchanged  and 


LEWIS  CASS. 

appointed  colonel  of  the  27th  regiment  of  infantry,  and  soon  after 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier  general.  He  joined  General 
Harrison  at  Seneca,  and  crossing  Lake  Erie  with  him,  after  Perry's 
victory,  was  present  in  the  pursuit  of  Proctor,  and  participated  in  the 
triumph  at  the  Moravian  towns.  The  north-western  campaign  being 
happily  terminated,  General  Cass  was  left  in  command  of  Michigan 
and  the  upper  province  of  Canada.  His  head  quarters  were  at  Detroit, 
and  he  thus  became  the  military  guardian  of  a  people  over  whom  he 
was  soon  (October  9, 1813,)  called  to  preside  as  civil  governor.  In  July, 
1814,  he  was  associated  with  General  Harrison  in  a  commission  to 
treat  (at  Greenville,  Ohio,)  with  the  Indians,  who  had  taken  part 
against  the  United  States  during  the  war.  A  treaty  of  pacification 
was  formed, — comparative  tranquillity  was  restored  to  the  frontiers, 
and  a  large  body  of  Indians  accompanied  Governor  Cass  to  Detroit, 
as  auxiliaries.  At  one  period,  Michigan  was  left  with  only  one  com- 
pany of  regular  soldiers  for  its  defence,  and  that  at  the  time  consisted 
of  twenty-seven  men.  With  this  inadequate  force,  and  the  local 
militia,  the  governor  was,  for  a  time,  left  to  defend  the  territory  against 
the  hostile  Indians,  who  were  constantly  hovering  around  Detroit. 

In  1815,  after  the  termination  of  the  war.  Governor  Cass  moved 
his  family  to  Detroit.  Michigan  had  suffered  greatly  during  the  war ; 
Detroit  exhibited  a  scene  of  devastation.  Scarcely  a  family,  when  it 
resumed  its  domestic  establishment,  found  more  than  the  remnants 
of  former  wealth  and  comforts.  Laws  had  become  silent,  and  morals 
had  suffered  in  the  general  wreck,  and  it  required  great  prudence 
and  an  uncommon  share  of  practical  wisdom  to  lead  back  a  people 
thus  disorganised,  to  habits  of  industry  and  order.  The  civil  govern- 
ment was  established,  and  such  laws  enacted  as  could  be  most  easily 
carried  into  effect.  The  legislative  power  being  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  governor  and  judges,  rendered  it  a  delicate  task  to  aid  in  the 
enactment  of  laws  which  were  to  be  enforced  by  the  same  will;  but  it 
was  performed  with  decision  and  enlightened  discrimination. 

The  Indian  relations  were  likewise  to  be  readjusted  throughout  the 
western  frontier.  War  had  ruptured,  or  weakened  every  tie  which 
had  previously  connected  the  tribes  with  our  government.  By  deci- 
sive, but  kind  measures,  the  hollow  truce  which  alone  existed,  was 
converted  into  a  permanent  peace,  and  they  returned,  by  degrees,  to 
their  hunting  grounds  and  usual  places  of  resort,  with  a  general 
disposition  to  live  in  amity  and  quiet. 

During  the  same  year.  Governor  Cass  was  associated  with  General 
M'Arthur  to  treat  with  the  Indians  at  Fort  Meiffs.      The  north- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

western  part  of  Ohio  was  acquired  at  this  time.  The  following  year 
he  was  engaged  in  the  same  duty  at  St.  Mary's,  to  carry  into  effect, 
with  certain  modifications,  the  treaty  of  Fort  Meigs,  and  for  the 
acquisition  of  land  in  Indiana.  In  1819  he  assisted  in  the  treaty  held 
at  Sagano,  by  which  large  relinquishments  were  obtained  from  the 
Indians  in  Michigan.  In  all  these  negotiations,  Governor  Cass 
acted  on  the  principle  of  franlmess  and  fair  reciprocity. 

Two  events  occurred  this  year  in  Michigan,  which  gave  a  new 
aspect  to  her  hopes  and  promises  of  prosperity.  One  was  the  privi- 
lege of  electing  a  delegate  to  congress;  the  other  was  the  sale  of 
public  lands  within  the  territory.  No  one  exerted  himself  with 
more  zeal  to  effect  these  improvements  than  the  governor,  as  he  was 
convinced  that  the  introduction  of  the  elective  franchise  among  the 
people,  would  elevate  their  political  character ;  and  that  by  the  sale 
of  the  public  land  the  population  and  prosperity  of  the  country  would 
be  rapidly  advanced. 

In  1820,  an  expedition  was  planned  by  Governor  Cass,  under  the 
sanction  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  then  secretary  of  war,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  pass  through  Lake  Superior,  cross  the  country  to  the  Missis- 
sippi, explore  the  sources  of  that  river,  and  establish  an  intercourse 
with  the  Indians,  on  that  extensive  route.  The  party  combined  per- 
sons of  science,  who  were  capable  of  ascertaining  the  physical 
character  of  the  country,  and  of  making  an  instructive  report,  among 
whom  were  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  and  Captain  Douglass  of  the  corps  of 
engineers.  A  preliminaiy  object  was,  to  inform  the  Indians  at  the 
Sault  de  St.  Marie  of  the  intention  of  government  to  establish  a  military 
post  at  that  point,  and  to  determine  the  site.  On  his  arrival  there, 
Governor  Cass  assembled  the  Indians  and  made  known  the  object  in 
view.  Being  under  the  influence  of  a  chief  who  was  notoriously 
disaffected  towards  the  United  States,  they  heard  the  proposition  with 
evident  ill  will,  and  broke  up  the  council  with  every  appearance  of 
hostile  intentions.  They  returned  to  their  encampment,  immediately 
transported  their  women  and  children  over  the  river,  and  raised  a 
British  flag,  as  if  in  token  of  defiance.  Governor  Cass  at  once  adopted 
the  only  course  suited  to  the  emergency.  Taking  only  an  interpreter 
with  him,  he  advanced  to  the  Indian  encampment  and  pulled  down, 
with  his  own  hands,  the  anglo-savage  flag,  directing  the  interpreter 
to  inform  the  Indians  that  they  were  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  no  other  flag  than  theirs  must  be  allowed  to 
wave  over  it.  Having  given  this  bold  and  practical  rebuke,  he 
returned  to  his  party,  takinsr  with  him  the  flag,  and  leaving  the 


LEWIS  CASS. 

Indians  to  further  reflection.  The  moral  influence  of  this  opportune 
and  seemingly  perilous  step,  was  immediately  seen ;  new  overtures 
were  made  by  the  Indians,  which  led  to  an  amicable  and  satisfactory 
adjustment.  The  course  of  the  expedition,  and  most  of  its  scientific 
results,  have  been  published  in  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  interesting  journal. 

In  1821,  the  services  of  Governor  Cass  were  again  brought  into 
requisition  by  the  government,  to  assist  in  another  treaty,  to  be  nego- 
tiated at  Chicago.  He  embarked  at  Detroit,  in  a  birch  canoe, 
ascended  the  Maumee,  crossed  into  the  Wabash,  descended  that  river 
to  the  Ohio,  went  down  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi,  and  ascended 
that  and  the  Illinois  to  Chicago.  By  the  treaty  formed  there,  all  the 
country  in  Michigan,  not  before  ceded,  south  of  Grand  river,  was 
acquired. 

In  1823,  Governor  Cass  concluded  an  arrangement  with  the  Dela- 
ware Indians,  by  which  they  ceded  some  valuable  tracts  on  the 
Musldngum,  in  Ohio. 

In  1825,  he  proceeded  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  where,  in  conjunction 
with  General  Clark,  a  treaty  of  general  pacification  was  concluded 
among  the  north-westerly  tribes.  In  his  tour  of  1820,  Governor 
Cass  had  observed  that  one  abundant  source  of  contention  among 
the  Indians  arose  from  uncertain  or  undefined  boundaries.  In  order 
to  remove  this  cause,  as  many  as  practicable  of  the  tribes  were  col- 
lected at  this  time,  in  order  to  ascertain,  by  tradition  and  custom, 
and  establish  by  general  consent,  the  limits  of  each  dominion.  Much 
difficulty  attended  this  negotiation,  as  each  tribe  apprehended  a  dimi- 
nution of  its  own  power,  and  an  increase  of  its  neighbor's.  But  the 
objects  of  the  treaty,  were,  in  part,  attained.  A  common  acceptance 
of  certain  geographical  or  other  known  boundaries,  was  obtained. 
The  beneficial  effects  of  this  important  treaty  will  be  accriiing 
with  each  coming  year.  Although  many  may  dissent  from  the  terms 
of  the  treaty,  for  a  time,  yet  lines  of  separation,  defined  with 
so  much  solemnity,  and  by  such  general  consent,  will  at  last 
be  appealed  to  as  decisive,  and  become  unalterably  fixed.  War 
will  still  prevail,  but  border  contests,  the  most  inveterate  and 
sanguinary,  may  be  appeased.  The  following  year  he  again 
traversed  the  great  lake  to  fulfil  the  benevolent  purposes  of  govern- 
ment. A  treaty  was  held,  at  Fond  du  Lac,  with  those  tribes  who 
were  too  remote  from  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  have  met  there.  The 
great  object  of  these  treaties  was  to  remove  the  causes  of  contention 
between  the  tribes,  by  inducing  them  to  accept  of  certain  geographi- 
cal or  other  kno\vn  boundaries,  as  the  limits  of  each  dominion.    Colonel 

s 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

M'Kenney,  who  was  associated  with  Governor  Cass  on  this  occasion, 
has  ^iven  a  hvely  and  picturesque  account  of  the  excursion.  Another 
treaty  was  made  on  the  Wabash,  on  their  return  from  Lake  Superior, 
by  which  the  Indians  ceded  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Indiana. 

In  1827,  treaties  were  negotiated  at  Green  Bay  and  at  St.  Joseph's; 
Governor  Cass  was  an  agent  in  both.  On  his  arrival  at  Green  Bay, 
instead  of  finding  the  Winnebagoes,  who  were  to  have  been  parties 
in  the  negotiation,  he  learned  that  they  were  collecting  in  hostile 
bodies,  for  the  purpose  of  waging  war  against  the  whites.  With  his 
usual  promptitude  he  adapted  his  course  to  the  emergency.  Embark- 
ing in  a  birch  canoe  he  ascended  the  Fox  river,  crossed  the  Portage, 
and  had  partly  descended  the  Ouisconsin,  when  he  perceived  an 
encampment  of  Winnebagoes  on  its  bank.  To  show  his  confidence 
in  them,  he  landed  alone,  and  approached  the  wigwams ;  but  the 
Indians  refused  to  hold  any  communication  with  him.  After  much 
fruitless  endeavor  to  conciliate,  he  returned  towards  his  canoe,  when 
a  young  Indian  snapped  his  rifle  at  his  back.  Whether  the  piece 
was  loaded  and  missed  fire  ;  or  the  act  was  an  empty,  but  significant 
token  of  enmity,  is  not  known. 

Pursuing  his  course  down  the  river,  he  reached  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  found  the  settlement  there  in  a  state  of  extreme  alarm.  A  large 
boat  on  the  Mississippi  had  been  attacked  by  a  numerous  band,  and 
escaped  capture  only  by  a  gallant  but  bloody  defence  ;  and  a  whole 
family  had  been  murdered  and  scalped  on  the  skirts  of  the  village. 
Having  organised  the  inhabitants  in  the  best  manner,  for  their  own 
defence,  there  being  no  garrison  there  at  the  time,  he  descended  the 
Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  means  of  defence  were  to  be 
obtained,  and  at  his  suggestion  a  large  detachment  of  United  States 
troops  was  moved  up  the  river,  in  time  to  prevent  further  bloodshed. 
In  the  mean  time  Governor  Cass  returned  to  the  bay,  in  the  same 
canoe,  by  the  way  of  the  Illinois  and  Lake  Michigan,  having  made  a 
circuit  of  about  eighteen  hundred  miles,  with  unprecedented  rapidity. 
His  celerity  of  movement,  and  the  alacrity  with  which  the  United 
States  troops  seconded  his  call,  probably  averted  a  war  that  might 
have  embraced  the  whole  north-west  frontier.  A  negotiation  followed, 
which  restored  tranquillity.  The  apparent  violence  offered  to  him  by 
the  Indian  on  the  Ouisconsin,  is  the  only  instance  of  that  nature 
which  had  occurred  during  his  long  and  intimate  intercourse  with 
the  Indians. 

In  1828  another  treaty  was  held  by  him  at  Green   Bay;  and 

another  at  St.  Joseph's,  by  which  a  cession  was  procured  for  Indiana. 

« 


LEWIS  CASS. 

In  these  various  treaties,  Governor  Cass  had  been  instrumental  in 
acquiring  for  the  United  States,  and  rescuing  from  the  wilderness, 
for  the  great  agricultural  purposes  of  the  country,  many  millions  of 
acres  of  land ;  and  in  a  manner  which  ought  to  leave  no  consciousness 
on  his  mind,  that  he  has  aggravated  the  lot  of  a  single  tribe  of  Indians. 

The  first  council  of  Michigan  met  in  1822.  This  body  relieved  the 
governor  and  judges  of  their  legislative  duties,  and  gave  the  govern- 
ment of  the  territory  a  more  republican  form.  Governor  Cass's 
messages  to  the  several  councils,  convened  under  his  administration, 
were  always  written  in  a  chaste  and  dignified  style ;  indeed,  all  the 
public  documents  that  came  from  his  pen,  while  governor  of  the 
territory,  may  be  regarded  as  good  models  of  executive  composition, 
and  exhibit  a  highly  cultivated  literary  taste.  But  his  literary  repu- 
tation rests  on  a  broader  and  more  appropriate  basis  than  his  guber- 
natorial writings. 

Sometime  in  the  year  1825,  John  Dunn  Hunter's  narrative 
appeared,  which,  at  the  time,  attracted  much  attention.  Governor 
Cass,  in  the  course  of  his  tours  through  the  west,  had  satisfied  him- 
self that  this  work  was  an  imposture.  In  determining  to  expose  it  to 
the  world,  his  mind  was  led  to  dwell  on  the  ample  subject  of  Indian 
character,  language,  and  condition,  and  he  wrote  the  article  which 
appeared  in  the  fiftieth  number  of  the  North  American  Review.  The 
subject  was  full  of  interest,  and  was  written  in  a  style  uncommonly 
earnest  and  eloquent,  and  the  public  was  gratified  to  find  that  a  theme 
so  interesting  and  important,  had  engaged  the  attention  of  so  culti- 
vated and  liberal  a  mind.  Another  article  of  his,  presenting  the 
aborigines  under  new  aspects,  appeared  in  the  fifty-fifth  number  of  the 
same  periodical.  This  article,  which  was  altogether  of  an  historical 
and  statistical  character,  attracted  equal  attention  with  its  precursor. 

Sometime  in  1828,  a  historical  society  was  formed  in  Michigan, 
of  which  Governor  Cass  was  elected  the  president.  He  delivered  the 
first  address  before  it  in  1829.  This  address,  embodying  the  early 
history  of  Michigan,  brings  it  down  to  the  period  when  the  United 
States  came  into  possession  of  it.  Its  publication  excited  a  spirit  of 
research  and  inquiry,  which  has  already  produced  the  most  benefi- 
cial results. 

In  1830,  Governor  Cass  was  invited  by  the  alumni  of  Hamilton 
college,  New  York,  to  deliver  an  address  at  their  anniversary  meeting. 
He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  in  the  address  which  he  delivered, 
displayed  an  affluence  of  reading  and  reflection  which  proved  his 
habitual  acquaintance  with  most  of  the  departments  of  human  know- 

7 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

ledge.  From  that  college  he  subsequently  received  the  honorary 
degree  of  L  L.  D.  He  had  previously  been  admitted  an  honorary 
member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  in  Philadelphia ;  of 
the  New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  and  Indiana  Historical  Societies ; 
of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society ;  and  of  the  Columbian  Institute. 

In  July,  1831,  having  been  appointed  secretary  of  war  by  Presi- 
dent Jackson,  Governor  Cass  resigned  his  office  as  governor  of  the 
territory,  after  having  administered  it  for  eighteen  years.  When  he 
began  his  administration,  he  found  the  country  small  in  population, 
without  resources,  and  almost  sunk  under  the  devastations  of  war. 
He  left  it  with  a  wide  spread  population,  and  thriving  with  unprece- 
dented prosperity.  This  auspicious  condition  may  not  all  be  attributed 
to  executive  instrumentality.  But  an  administration,  impartial,  vigi- 
lant, pervading,  and  intelligent,  may  be  fairly  supposed  to  have  shed 
a  happy  influence  on  all  around.  It  will  long  be  remembered  in 
Michigan,  Avhere  its  termination  is  universally  regretted.  In  the 
important  station  which  he  now  holds,  his  sphere  of  usefulness  is 
enlarged,  and  none  of  his  predecessors  ever  enjoyed  a  greater  share 
of  public  confidence, 

"  Strict  and  punctual  in  his  business  habits,  plain  and  affable  in 
his  manners,  with  powers  of  mind  which  grasp,  as  it  were,  by 
intuition,  every  subject  to  which  they  are  applied — united  to  various 
and  extensive  acquirements ;  we  feel  that  we  hazard  nothing  in  the 

declaration  that  the  measure  of  his  fame  is  not  yet  full." 

s 


TIIOMAS  MACDONOTJGH.tT.S.N. 


■.utCTed  according  to  act  oC  Congress  in  the  year  1833  "by  Jaxass  Barring  in  ihe  clerks  office  of  the" 

Disiriol    Court  of  the  Souihern   District   of  New  ^rk. 


THOMAS     MACDONOUGH 


This  gallant  ofRcer  was  born  in  the  county  of  Newcastle,  in  the  state 
of  Delaware,  in  December,  1783.     His  father  was  a  physician,  but 
inspired  with  a  love  of  liberty,  he  entered  the  army  of  the  revolution 
as  a  major ;  he  did  not,  however,  remain  long  in  the  service,  but 
returned  to  private  life  and  his   professional  pursuits,   until    the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  made   a  judge;   in  which  office 
he   remained   until    his    death,  which    happened    in    1795.      He 
left  three  sons,     His  eldest  son,  James,  was  a  midshipman  with 
Commodore    Truxton    when    he    took    the    Insurgent.       In   that 
battle  he  was  so  severely  wounded,  that  there  was  a  necessity  of 
amputating  his  leg.     He  soon  afterwards  left  the  navy,  with  the 
reputation  of  a  brave  officer.     In  1798,  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
obtained  a  warrant  as  a  midshipman,  and  commenced  his  career  as 
a  naval  officer.     Those  who  were  acquainted  with  his  early  life, 
spoke  of  Midshipman  Macdonough  as  a  young  officer  of  great  pro- 
mise, but  he  had  no  opportunity  of  being  made  known  to  the  public 
until  the  country  had  the  misfortune  of  losing  the  frigate  Philadelphia. 
When  the   gallant   Decatur   proposed  to  burn   her,  as  she  lay  in 
possession  of  the  enemy,  he  selected  Macdonough   as  one  of  the 
young  officers  to  accompany  him   on   that  hazardous  expedition ; 
and  he  reaped  an  eai'ly  harvest  of  honor  in  that  daring  exploit,  with 
his  leader  and  others.     The  Mediterranean  bas  been  the  birth  place 
of  more  naval  reputations  than  all  the  waters  of  the  world  beside,  and 
it  was  there,  too,  that  our  infant  navy  displayed  some  of  those  acts  of 
valor  and  good  conduct  which  were  of  importance  in  themselves,  and 
were  hailed  as  presages  of  future  glories  for  our  country.      ^^  hen 
Macdonough  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  Siren,  under  command  of 
Captain  Smith,  a  circumstance  occurred  in  the  harbor  of  Gibralter 
sufficiently  indicative  of  the  firmness  and  decision  of  his  character. 
An   American  merchant    brig  came  to   anchor  near  the    ITnited 
States  vessel.      Macdonough,   in  the   absence  of  Captain   Smith, 
who  had  gone  on  shore,  saw  a  boat  from  a  British  frigate  board  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

brig  and  take  from  her  a  man  ;  he  mstantly  manned  and  armed  his 
gig-,  and  pursued  the  British  boat,  which  he  overtook,  just  as  it 
reached  the  frigate,  and  without  ceremony  took  the  impressed  man 
into  his  own  boat.    The  frigate's  boat  was  twice  the  force  of  his  own ; 


'& 


but  the  act  was  so  bold  as  to  astound  the  heutenant  who  commanded 
the  press-gang,  and  no  resistance  was  offered.  When  the  affair  was 
made  known  to  the  British  captain  he  came  on  board  of  the  Siren  in 
a  great  rage,  and  inquired  how  he  dared  to  take  a  man  from  his  boat, 
Macdonough  rephed  that  the  man  was  an  American  seaman,  and 
was  under  the  protection  of  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  and  that  it 
was  his  duty  to  protect  him.  The  captain,  with  a  volley  of  oaths, 
swore  he  would  bring  his  frigate  along  side  the  Siren  and  sink  her, 
"This  you  may  do,"  said  Macdonough  ;  "but  while  she  swims  the 
man  you  will  not  have."'  The  English  captain  told  Macdonough 
that  he  was  a  young  hair-brained  fellow,  and  would  repent  of  his 
rashness.  "  Supposing,  sir,"  said  he,  "  I  had  been  in  that  boat,  would 
you  have  dared  to  have  committed  such  an  act  ?"  "  I  should  have 
made  the  attempt,  sir,  at  all  hazards,"  was  the  reply.  "  What,  sir !" 
said  the  English  captain,  '•'  would  you  venture  to  interfere  if  I  were 
to  impress  men  from  that  brig?"  "  You  have  only  to  try  it,  sir,"  was 
the  pithy  answer.  The  English  officer  returned  to  his  ship,  manned 
liis  boat  and  made  his  way  towards  the  brig;  Macdonough  did  the 
same;  but  there  the  affair  ended, — the  English  boat  took  a  circuitous 
route  and  returned  to  the  ship.  There  was  such  a  calmness  in  the 
conduct  of  Lieutenant  Macdonough,  such  a  solemnity  in  his  lan- 
guage, such  a  politeness  in  his  manner,  that  the  British  officer  saw 
that  he  had  to  deal  with  no  ordinary  man — and  that  it  was  not 
prudent  to  put  him  on  his  metal. 

In  that  garden  of  the  world,  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
where  nations  have  grown  up  and  decayed,  and  others  have  taken 
their  places  ;  where  every  thing  is  marked  with  age,  luxury,  crime, 
and  temptation,  and  where  many  a  fine  young  officer  has  made  ship- 
wreck of  his  morals  and  his  health  ;  Macdonough  exhibited  the 
Spartan  firmness  Avith  the  Christian  virtues.  His  bravery  was  never 
for  a  moment  doubted,  but  he  was  so  reserved,  temperate,  and  cir- 
cumspect, that  the  envious,  sometimes,  strove  to  bring  him  to  their 
level,  and  often  were  snares  set  for  him  ;  but  he  was  never  caught. 
His  character  was  fair  and  bright  as  the  surface  of  a  steel  mirror, 
before  it  was  brought  to  reflect  any  ray  of  glory  upon  himself  and 

his  country. 

There  is  a  good  share  of  sagacity  in  the  common  sailor ;  he  sees 


THOMAS  MACDONOUGH. 

through  a  character  much  clearer  than  we  generally  think  he  does ; 
before  Macdonough  had  been  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  he  had 
the  heart  of  every  sailor  who  knew  him.  There  are  few  so  igno- 
rant that  they  cannot  discover  moral  worth,  when  connected  with 
professional  ability ;  and  none  so  bad,  as  not  to  approve  of  it. 

It  has  often  been  stated,  and  never  questioned,  that  while  in  Syra- 
cuse, that  he  was  one  night  attacked  by  three  assassins,  with  their 
dao-o-ers.  He  drew  his  sword,  and  wounded  two  of  them  so  severely 
as  to  fear  nothing  further  from  them,  the  other  fled,  but  he 
pursued  him  to  the  roof  of  a  building,  and  climbing  it  after  the 
assassin,  would  have  caught  him,  if  he  had  not  thrown  himself  from 
it,  with  the  loss  of  his  existence.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  Mac- 
donough suffered  much  from  ill-health ;  but  at  this  time  he  was  one 
of  the  most  active  and  athletic  officers  of  the  navy,  and  was  dexterous 
in  the  use  of  his  sword. 

Not  many  of  the  ships  of  the  American  navy  were  in  commission 
from  the  close  of  the  Tripolitan  war,  until  the  war  of  1812.  Those 
few  which  visited  the  maritime  places  in  Europe,  South  America,  or 
the  West  Indies,  were  viewed  with  no  ordinary  curiosity,  and  even 
thought,  by  some,  to  have  a  respectable  appearance ;  but  there  was 
not  the  slightest  suspicion  that  we  were  so  soon  to  take  rank  among 
those  nations  who  boast  of  naval  exploits.  But  after  the  declaration 
of  war  with  England,  our  navy  was  put  into  requisition,  and  every 
officer  panted  for  distinction.  The  elder  officers  were  mostly 
sent  on  the  ocean ;  some  of  the  high  spirited  juniors  to  the  lakes, — 
among  the  latter.  Lieutenant  Macdonough  was  ordered  to  Lake 
Champlain.  This  was  an  important  station,  for  through  this  lake  a 
communication  could  most  readily  be  had  with  the  most  powerful 
portion  of  the  Canadas.  The  main  armies  of  the  British  were 
always  to  be  near  Montreal  and  duebec,  but  for  the  first  two  years 
of  the  war,  both  sides  were  busy  in  another  direction,  particularly  on 
the  Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie.  The  contending  powers  watched 
each  other's  movements  and  kept  nearly  pari  passu  in  the  augmentation 
of  their  naval  forces ;  the  English  always  in  the  advance,  having 
in  many  respects,  greater  facilities ;  if  not  in  ship  building,  certainly  in 
procuring  munitions  of  war,  sails,  rigging,  &c. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1814,  the  warlike  preparations 
on  Lake  Champlain,  and  its  vicinity,  seemed  to  portend  some  power- 
ful shock.  Large  bodies  of  troops,  the  veterans  of  Wellington's  army, 
to  the  amount,  it  was  said,  of  sixteen  thousand,  had  arrived  in 
Canada,  and  were  preparing  to  strike  a  severe  blow  on  the  frontiers, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

one  that  would  be  felt  to  the  very  vitals  of  the  nation,  Izard  received 
orders  to  assist  Brown,  and  Macomb  was  left  with  a  handful  of 
troops  at  Plattsburgh.  He  put  himself  into  the  best  attitude  of  defence 
a  brave  and  intelligent  officer  could,  and  called  on  the  neighboring 
militia  to  come  to  his  aid ;  meanwhile  the  fleet  under  Macdonough 
was  put  in  readiness  for  an  attack.  He  had  only  four  ships,  such  as 
they  were;  the  Saratoga,  twenty-six  guns  ;  the  Eagle,  twenty  guns; 
the  Ticonderoga,  seventeen  guns,  the  Preble,  seven  guns ;  and  ten 
gallies,  carrying  sixteen — in  the  whole  eighty-six  guns.  The  British 
force  was  larger :  the  frigate  Confiance,  thirty-nine  guns ;  the  Linnet, 
sixteen  guns  ;  the  Chubb,  eleven  guns  ;  the  Finch,  eleven  gims  ;  and 
thirteen  gallies,  carrying  eighteen  guns — making  a  total  of  ninety- 
five  guns ;  a  superiority  over  the  American  fleet  of  nine  guns  ;  their 
complement  of  men  was  much  greater.  That  the  American  fleet 
was  commanded  by  a  young  officer  who  ranked  only  a  lieutenant, 
and  the  British  by  an  experienced  one.  Captain  Downie,  gave  Sir 
George  Prevost  no  doubt  of  the  issue  of  his  naval  operations.  On  the 
land,  too,  with  his  veterans  and  other  troops,  he  was  quite  certain  of  a 
signal  victory. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  of  September,  it  was  evident  that  the 
assault  on  the  lake  and  on  the  land  was  to  be  made  the  next  day,  and 
Macdonough  deemed  it  best  to  await  the  attack  at  anchor.  At  eight 
o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  the  British  fleet  was  seen 
approaching,  and  in  an  hour  the  battle  became  general.  The  most 
accurate  description  of  it  must  be  from  his  own  pen. 

"At  nine,"  says  the  captain,  "the  enemy  anchored  in  a  line 
ahead,  at  about  three  hundred  yards  distant  from  my  line ;  his  ship 
opposed  to  the  Saratoga ;  his  brig  to  the  Eagle,  Captain  Robert  Henley; 
his  gallies,  thirteen  in  number,  to  the  schooner,  sloop,  and  a  division 
of  our  gallies ;  one  of  his  sloops  assisting  their  ship  and  brig ;  the 
other  assisting  their  gallies :  our  remaining  gallies  were  with  the 
Saratoga  and  Eagle. 

"In  this  situation,  the  whole  force  on  both  sides  became  engaged; 
the  Saratoga  suffering  much  from  the  heavy  fire  of  the  Confiance.  I 
could  perceive  at  the  same  time,  however,  that  our  fire  was  very 
destructive  to  her.  The  Ticonderoga,  Lieutenant  Commandant 
Cassin,  gallantly  sustained  her  full  share  of  the  action.  At  half  past 
ten,  the  Eagle,  not  being  able  to  bring  her  guns  to  bear,  cut  her  cable, 
and  anchored  in  a  more  eligible  position,  between  my  ship  and  the 
Ticonderoga,  where  she  very  much  annoyed  the  enemy,  but  unfortu- 
nately leaving  me  much  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  the  enemy's  brig. 


THOMAS  MACDONOUGH. 

"Our  guns  on  the  starboard  side  being  nearly  all  dismounted,  or 
unmanageable,  a  stern  anchor  was  let  go,  the  lower  cable  cut,  and 
the  ship  winded  with  a  fresh  broadside  on  the  enemy's  ship,  which 
soon  after  surrendered.  Our  broadside  was  then  sprung  to  bear  on 
the  brig,  which  surrendered  about  fifteen  minutes  afterwards.  The 
sloop  which  was  opposed  to  the  Eagle,  had  struck  some  time  before, 
and  drifted  down  the  line.  The  sloop  that  was  with  their  gallies  had 
also  struck.  Three  of  their  gallies  are  said  to  be  sunk ;  the  others 
pulled  off.  Our  gallies  were  about  obeying  with  alacrity  the  signal 
to  follow  them,  when  all  the  vessels  were  reported  to  me  to  be  in  a 
sinking  state.  It  then  became  necessary  to  annul  the  signal  to  the 
gallies,  and  order  their  men  to  the  pumps.  I  could  only  look  at  the 
enemy's  gallies  going  off  in  a  shattered  condition,  for  there  was  not  a 
mast  in  either  squadron  that  could  stand  to  make  sail  on.  The 
lower  rigging  being  nearly  shot  away,  hung  down  as  though  it  had 
just  been  placed  over  the  mast  heads. 

"The  Saratoga  had  fifty -five  round  shot  in  her  hull ;  the  Confiance 
one  hundred  and  five.  The  enemy's  shot  passed  principally  just 
over  our  heads,  as  there  were  not  twenty  whole  hammocks  in  the 
nettings,  at  the  close  of  the  action,  which  lasted  without  intermission 
two  hours  and  twenty  minutes. 

"  The  absence  and  sickness  of  Lieutenant  Raymond  Perry  left  me 
without  the  assistance  of  that  excellent  officer.  Much  ought  fairly  to 
be  attributed  to  himx  for  his  great  care  and  attention  in  disciplining 
the  ship's  crew,  as  her  first  lieutenant.  His  place  was  filled  by  a 
gallant  young  officer,  Lieutenant  Peter  Gamble ;  who,  I  regret  to 
mform  you,  was  killed  early  in  the  action." 

The  Saratoga  was  twice  set  on  fire  during  the  action,  by  hot  shot 
from  the  Confiance  ;  but  the  flames  were  promptly  extinguished. 

At  the  same  time  the  land  forces  were  enofasred  ;  both  armies  look- 
ing  on  the  sea-fight  as  in  a  measure  the  turning  point  with  them. 
The  loss  of  the  Americans  was  fifty-two  killed,  and  fifty-eight 
wounded,  that  of  the  British,  eighty-four  killed,  and  one  hundred  and 
ten  wounded.  The  prisoners  taken  exceeded  the  whole  number  of 
Americans  in  the  action.  Sir  George  and  his  army  were  the  next  day 
on  the  retreat.  This  victory  was  hailed  by  the  whole  nation  with  great 
joy.  The  state  of  New  York,  in  justice  and  gratitude,  gave  the  gallant 
commodore  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  of  no  small  value,  and  the  state 
of  Vermont  made  a  grant  of  two  himdred  acres,  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  battle  ground ;  this  is  a  delightful  spot,  and  may  be 
seen  from  the  distant  hills  very  distinctly,  and  from  the  manor  you  have 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

a  fine  view  of  the  lake,  particularly  that  part  of  it  where  the  Ameri- 
can fleet  was  anchored.  While  rambling  over  these  grounds  one 
cannot  help  thinking  of  the  lines  of  the  bard  of  Newstead  Abbey, 

"  The  mountains  look  on  Marathon, 
And  Marathon  looks  on  the  sea," 

Both  scenes  awaken  visions  of  national  glory ;  but  our  view,  as  yet, 
affords  no  painful  contrasts,  except,  when  we  ask  where  is  he  who 
fought  and  conquered  here?  The  city  of  New  York  gave  Mac- 
DONOUGH  a  valuable  lot  of  land,  and  the  city  of  Albany  followed  the 
example.  Festive  honors  were  offered  him  in  all  places  he  chanced 
to  pass  through,  but  they  were  not  often  accepted.  He  loved  fame, 
but  not  her  obstreperous  notes.  For  this  victory  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  post  captain. 

From  the  close  of  the  war  to  the  time  of  his  decease,  he  shared  the 
honors  of  the  home  and  foreign  service  with  his  compeers.  He  was 
an  excellent  member  of  court-martials,  for  he  brought  to  those  tribu- 
nals a  candid  mind,  ever  ready  to  find  matters  that  made  in  favor  of 
the  accused  as  well  as  against  him.  We  have  an  opportunity  of 
speaking  from  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  fact,  that  on  several 
court-martials,  the  accused  have  congratulated  themselves,  that  all 
that  was  brought  against  them  was  to  be  considered  by  such  a  mind 
as  Macdonough's  ;  at  the  same  time,  they  were  not  wanting  injustice 
to  other  honorable  members. 

For  several  years  before  his  death  he  made  his  home  in  Middletown, 
Connecticut,  where  he  had  married  Miss  Shaler,  a  lady  of  a  highly 
respectable  family  in  that  place.  He  died  of  a  consumption,  on  the 
tenth  day  of  November,  1825.  His  wife  had  paid  the  debt  of  nature 
a  few  months  before  him. 

In  person,  Macdonough  was  tall,  dignified,  and  commanding. 
His  features  were  pleasing ;  his  complexion,  hair,  and  eyes  were  light ; 
but  there  was  such  a  firmness  and  steadfastness  in  his  look  as  to  take 
away  all  appearance  of  the  want  of  masculine  energy,  which  is  often 
attached  to  the  idea  of  a  delicate  complexion.  The  great  charm  of  his 
character  was  the  refinement  of  his  taste,  the  purity  of  his  principles, 
and  the  sincerity  of  his  religion ;  these  give  a  perfume  to  his  name, 
which  the  partial  page  of  history  seldom  can  retain  for  departed 
warriors,  however  brilliant  their  deeds. 


irom  a.  pairxbn^  cw  T  Siiih- 


MAJOR   OENERAI.     U.SA. 


ALEXANDER     MACOMB. 


"  For  what  of  thrilling  sympathy, 

Did  e'er  in  human  bosom  vie, 

With  that  which  stirs  the  soldier's  breast, 

When,  high  in  god-like  worth  confest, 

Some  noble  leader  gives  command, 

To  combat  for  his  native  land  ? 

No  ;  friendship's  freely  flowing  tide. 

The  soul  expanding  ;  filial  pride. 

That  hears  with  craving,  fond  desire, 

The  bearings  of  a  gallant  sire  ; 

The  yearnings  of  domestic  bliss, — 

E'en  love  itself,  will  yield  to  this." 

Joanna  Baillie. 

Major  General  Alexander  Macomb,  now  at  the  head  of  the 
army  of  the  United  States,  is  one  of  those  men  whom  his  comitiy 
dehghts  to  honor  ;  for  he  has  served  faithfully,  and  risen  gradually 
in  the  army,  and  of  course,  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  duties. 
He,  perhaps,  more  than  any  other  man  in  our  army,  may  be  consi- 
dered as  having  been  a  soldier  from  the  cradle.  He  was  born  at 
Detroit,  April  3d,  1782.  The  city  of  Detroit,  at  that  time,  was  a 
garrison  town,  and  among  the  first  images  that  struck  his  eyes  were 
those  of  the  circumstances  of  war.  These  early  impressions  often 
fix  the  character  of  the  man. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  fur  merchant,  respect- 
ably descended  and  connected.  He  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York 
while  Alexander  was  yet  an  infant.  When  he  was  eight  years 
of  age,  he  placed  him  at  school  at  Newark,  in  New  Jersey,  under  the 
charge  of  the  Reverend  Doctor  Ogden,  who  was  a  man  of  mind,  be- 
longing to  a  family  distinguished  for  talents.  This  was  a  time  of  high 
excitement,  the  French  revolution  was  raging  with  great  fury,  and 
our  countrymen  took  sides.  In  every  enlightened  nation,  boys  are 
among  the  first  to  take  impressions,  and  these  are  often  lasting.  It 
is  not  a  little  singular  that  the  present  major  general  of  the  army  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  present  secretary  of  war.  Governor  Cass, 
were,  during  the  French  revolution,  oflicers  of  Lilliputian  bands  at 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

the  seminaries  in  which  they  were  educated :  the  one  at  Newark  in 
New  Jersey,  and  the  other  at  Exeter  academy  in  New  Hampshire. 
It  is  not  only  that  mihtary  fire  is  kindled  in  the  hearts  of  youth,  at 
such  an  age,  but  in  such  associations  they  learn  much  of  that  part  of 
the  art  of  war  which  depends  upon  ardor,  quickness,  and  imitative 
power,  rather  than  upon  deep  reasoning.  Being  acquainted  with  all 
possible  forms  in  which  men  can  be  placed,  and  the  time  required 
for  each  movement ;  the  officer  in  battle  having  all  this  elementary 
and  practical  knowledge  at  once  in  his  mind,  can  compare,  com- 
bine, and  decide  without  hesitation.  The  deep  interest  boys  take 
in  these  military  exercises  is  beautifully  described  in  an  unpublished 
poem,  found  among  the  remains  of  that  elegant  classical  scholar  and 
poet,  the  late  Nathaniel  H.  Carter,  Esq.,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
military  corps  at  Exeter  about  eight  or  ten  years  after  the  present 
secretary  of  war  had  left  the  institution. 

"  And  now  the  labors  of  the  studious  day, 
Conclude,  and  give  the  evening  hours  to  play, 
At  beat  of  drum  with  sword  and  armor  sheen, 
The  mimic  train-band  form  upon  the  green. 
With  snowy  frock  and  trowsers  fringed  with  red, 
And  blood-tipt  feather  nodding  on  his  head. 
The  youthful  soldier  stmts,  and  slaps  with  pride. 
The  jetty  box,  suspended  at  his  side  ; 
While  o'er  him  waves  the  motto'd  flag  of  stars. 
Which  join  in  friendship  Mercury  and  Mars. 
Meantime  the  captain,  of  his  station  proud, 
Unsheaths  his  sword,  and  gives  the  word  aloud ; 
Along  the  line  with  gait  majestic  walks. 
And  much  of  discipline,  and  order  talks  ; 
Observes  the  rogue,  and  sternly  reprimands, 
Who  turns  his  head,  or  disobeys  commands  ; 
Then  calls  subalterns  to  the  grave  debate, 
And  tells  of  tactics,  us'd  in  ev'ry  state, 
Explains  what  code  the  English  corps  adopts, 
And  which  the  mighty  power  of  Gallia  props. 
Proud  was  this  Chief  of  Boys,  and  happier  far, 
Than  Europe's  scourge,  and  thunder-bolt  of  war. 
Who  terror  struck  to  prostrate  prince  and  throne, 
In  every  clime  from  Wolga  to  the  Rhone, 
Reign'd  haughtiest  monarch  of  the  world  a  while, 
Then  sunk  the  tenant  of  a  little  isle." 

In  1798,  while  Macomb  was  quite  a  youth,  he  was  elected  into  a 
select  company,  which  was  called  "  The  New  York  Rangers."  The 
name  was  taken  from  that  Spartan  band  of  rangers,  selected  from 
the  provincials,  who  from  1755  to  1763,  were  the  elite  of  every 


ALEXANDER  MACOMB. 

British  commander  on  lake  George,  and  the  borders  of  Canada.  At 
the  time  he  entered  the  corps  of  New  York  Rangers,  congress  had 
passed  a  law  receiving  volunteers  for  the  defence  of  the  country,  as 
invasion  by  a  French  army  was  soon  expected.  This  patriotic  band 
volunteered  their  services  to  government,  which  were  accepted,  but 
he  soon  left  this  corps,  and  obtained  a  cornetcy  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1798,  and  was  commissioned  in  January,  1799.  General 
North,  then  adjutant  general  of  the  northern  army,  soon  saw  the 
merits  of  the  youthful  soldier,  and  took  him  into  his  staff,  as  deputy 
adjutant  general.  Under  such  a  master  as  the  intelligent  and  accom- 
plished North,  Macomb  made  great  progress  in  his  profession,  and 
in  the  affections  of  his  brother  officers  of  the  army.  The  young  offi- 
cer that  Hamilton  noticed,  and  North  instructed,  would  not  fail  to  be 
ambitious  of  distinction.  He  visited  Montreal,  in  order  to  observe 
the  discipline  and  tactics  of  the  veteran  corps  kept  at  that  important 
military  post,  and  did  not  neglect  his  opportunities. 

The  thick  and  dark  cloud  that  hung  over  the  country,  passed 
away, — a  great  part  of  the  troops  were  disbanded,  and  most  of  the 
officers  and  men  returned  to  private  life  ;  a  few  only  were  retained ; 
among  them  was  Macomb,  who  was  commissioned  as  a  second  lieu- 
tenant of  dragoons,  and  sent  forthwith  on  the  recruiting  service,  but, 
it  was  not  then  necessary  to  push  the  business,  and  as  he  was  sta- 
tioned in  Philadelphia,  he  had  fine  opportunities  to  associate  with 
the  best  informed  men  of  the  city,  and  found  easy  access  to  the 
Franklin  and  other  extensive  libraries,  of  which  advantages  he  did 
not  fail  to  improve. 

When  his  body  of  recruits  was  formed,  he  marched  with  it  to  the 
western  frontiers  to  join  General  Wilkinson,  an  officer  who  had 
been  left  in  service  from  the  revolutionary  war.  In  the  company  of 
Wilkinson  (a  man  of  talents  and  fascinating  manners,  notwithstand- 
ing his  vanity,)  and  of  Colonel  Williams,  the  engineer,  he  must  have 
gathered  a  mass  of  materials  for  future  use.  With  him  he  went  into 
the  Cherokee  country  to  aid  in  making  a  treaty  with  that  nation. 
He  was  on  this  mission  nearly  a  year,  and  kept  a  journal  of  every 
thing  he  saw  or  heard.  This  was  a  good  school  for  one  whose  duty 
it  might  hereafter  be  to  fight  these  very  aborigines,  and,  in  fact, 
these  lessons  of  the  wilderness  are  not  lost  on  any  one  of  mind  and 
observation.  The  corps  to  which  he  belonged  was  disbanded,  and 
a  corps  of  engineers  formed ;  to  this  he  was  attached  as  first  lieu- 
tenant. He  was  now  sent  to  West  Point,  where  lie  was  by  the  code 
there  established,  a  pupil  as  well  as  an  officer.     Being  examined  and 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

declared  competent,  he  was  appointed  an  adjutant  of  the  corps  at 
that  post,  and  discharged  his  duty  with  so  much  spirit  and  intelh- 
gence,  that  when  the  first  court-martial,  after  his  examination,  was 
convened,  he  was  appointed  judge  advocate.  This  court  was 
ordered  for  the  trial  of  a  distinguished  officer  for  disobeying  an 
arbitrary  order  for  cutting  off  the  hair.  Peter  the  Great  could  not 
carry  such  an  order  into  execution,  but  our  republican  country  did ; 
and  the  veteran.  Colonel  Butler,  was  reprimanded  for  not  throwing 
his  white  locks  to  the  wind,  when  ordered  so  to  do  by  his  superior. 
The  talents  and  arguments  exhibited  by  Macomb,  as  judge  advocate 
on  this  court-martial,  brought  him  into  very  great  notice  as  a  man 
of  exalted  intellect,  as  well  as  a  fine  soldier.  He  was  now  called 
upon  to  compile  a  treatise  upon  martial  law,  and  the  practice  of 
courts-martial,  which  in  a  future  day  of  leisure  he  effected,  and  his 
book  is  now  the  standard  work  upon  courts-martial,  for  the  army  of 
the  United  States.  In  1805,  Macomb  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain  in  the  corps  of  engineers,  and  sent  to  the  sea-board  to  super- 
intend the  fortifications  which  had  been  ordered  by  an  act  of  con- 
gress. By  this  service  he  became  known  to  the  first  men  in  the 
country,  and  his  merits  were  duly  appreciated  from  New  Hampshire 
to  the  Floridas. 

In  1808,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  and  acted  as 
superintendent  of  fortifications,  until  just  before  the  war,  when  he 
was  advanced  to  a  lieutenant  colonelcy.  He  was  again  detailed  to 
act  as  judge  advocate  on  a  court-martial  for  the  trial  of  General  Wil- 
kinson, who  had  called  the  court  on  Colonel  Butler.  He  added  to 
his  reputation  in  this  case.  Willdnson  was  his  friend,  but  Macomb 
discharged  his  duty  with  military  exactness. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812,  he  left  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment, where  he  had  discharged  an  arduous  duty,  in  assisting  to  give 
form  and  regularity  to  the  army,  then  just  raised  by  order  of  con- 
gress. All  sorts  of  confusion  had  prevailed,  from  the  want  of  a 
uniform  system  of  military  tactics  :  he  was  fortunate  in  his  exertions. 
When  there  was  honorable  war,  he  could  not  be  satisfied  to  remain, 
as  it  were,  a  cabinet  officer,  and  wear  a  sword  only  to  advise  what 
should  be  done,  which  seemed  to  be  the  regulations  of  the  army  in 
respect  to  engineers ;  he  therefore  solicited  a  command  in  the  corps 
of  artillery  that  was  to  be  raised,  and  was  gratified  by  a  commission 
as  colonel  of  the  third  regiment,  dated  July  6,  1812.  The  regiment 
was  to  consist  of  twenty  companies  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen 
each.     It  was,  in  fact,  the  command  of  a  division,  except  in  rank. 


ALEXANDER  MACOMB. 

His  reputation  assisted  in  raising  this  body  of  men,  and  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year  he  marched  to  the  frontiers  with  his  command. 
Macomb  and  his  troops  spent  the  winter  at  Sackett's  harbor.  He 
contemplated  an  attack  upon  Kingston,  but  was  defeated  in  his  plan 
by  the  fears  of  some,  and  the  jealousies  of  others ; — but  he  soon 
distinofuished  himself  at  Niagara  and  fort  Georije :  at  the  same  time 
Commodore  Chauncey  was  endeavoring  to  bring  the  enemy's  fleet 
to  battle  on  lake  Ontario.  The  next  service  performed  by  Colonel 
Macomb  was  under  General  Wilkinson,  and  if  the  campaign  was 
not  successful,  Macomb  was  not  chargeable  with  any  portion  of  the 
failure. 

In  January,  1814,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier 
general ;  and  was  appointed  to  a  command  on  the  east  side  of  lake 
Champlain.  Nothing  of  importance  in  the  history  of  General 
Macomb  transpired,  although  he  was  constantly  on  the  alert  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties,  until  the  coronal  of  his  fame  was  won  at  the 
defence  of  Plattsburgh.  This  defence  our  limits  will  not  permit  us 
to  describe  with  any  minuteness,  but  suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  the 
summer  of  1814,  Sir  George  Prevost,  governor  general  of  the 
Canadas,  had  received  a  great  augmentation  of  his  regular  forces,  by 
detachments  from  the  army  which  had  fought  in  Spain  and  Portugal, 
under  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  These  were  among  the  best  troops 
in  the  world,  and  he  now  determined  to  strike  a  blow  upon  our  fron- 
tiers that  should  be  decisive  of  the  war,  and  bring  our  nation  to  terms 
at  once.  His  fleet,  on  lake  Champlain,  was  considered  superior  to 
that  of  ours,  and  he  was  well  informed  that  we  had  not  there  any 
army  of  consequence.  Early  in  September  he  pushed  on  towards 
Plattsburgh,  and  met,  for  several  days,  with  little  opposition.  His 
error  was  delay ;  but  he  wished  to  move  safely,  and  saw  nothing  to 
prevent  his  progress.  Previous  to  the  11th,  there  had  been  some 
smart  skirmishing,  in  which  the  British  found  more  courage  and 
efficiency  than  they  expected,  from  troops  so  hastily  called  out. 
Early  on  the  11th,  the  British  gave  battle  by  land  and  water — fifteen 
hundred  of  the  regular  army,  and  uncertain  bodies  of  militia,  made 
up  Macomb's  army.  The  enemy  was  fourteen  thousand  strong. 
The  battle  was  a  decisive  victory  on  the  part  of  the  American  forces ; 
Macdonough  captured  the  British  fleet,  and  Sir  George  returned  to 
Canada  the  next  night.  The  victory  was  as  brilliant  as  unexpected. 
Honors  were  voted  Macomb  in  every  part  of  the  country.  New 
York  and  Vermont  were  foremost  in  their  tributes  of  respect.  The 
president  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  major  general,  dating  his 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

commission  on  the  day  of  his  victory.  The  event  had  a  happy  effect 
on  the  negotiations  then  going  on  at  Ghent,  and  unquestionably 
paved  the  way  for  a  treaty  of  peace.  Whoever  wishes  to  see  a  detail 
of  this  battle,  should  turn  to  the  pages  of  an  excellent  memoir  of 
the  general  from  the  pen  of  "  George  H.  Richards,  Esq.,  a  captain 
in  Macomb's  artillery,  in  the  late  war  f^  but  who  has  since  left 
the  service.  This  work  comes  warm  from  the  bosom  of  friendship, 
but  contains  much  beauty  and  accuracy  of  detail.  We  have  read, 
we  believe,  all  that  has  been  written  of  the  general ;  but  acknowledge 
ourselves  indebted  to  that  memoir  for  many  of  the  incidents  in  this 
life  of  General  Macomb. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  he  commanded  at  Detroit,  his  birth- 
place. He  was  received  at  this  military  post  with  distinguished 
honors  ;  many  remembered  his  person,  and  all  had  kept  his  reputa- 
tion in  view  as  reflecting  honor  upon  the  territory  in  which  he  was 
born.  He  continued  at  that  post  attentive  to  his  duty,  and  devising 
liberal  things  for  the  people  of  that  region,  without  confining  his 
exertions  to  any  particular  portion  of  territory,  until  in  1821  he  was 
called  to  Washington  to  take  the  ofiice  of  chief  of  the  engineer  depart- 
ment. On  the  receipt  of  this  information,  he  was  addressed  by  all 
classes  of  the  people  of  Detroit,  in  the  most  exalted  language  of 
friendship  and  regard.  On  repairing  to  Washington,  he  assumed 
the  duties  of  the  bureau  he  was  called  to,  and  discharged  them  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  government,  and  the  army.  On  the  death  of 
General  Brown,  commander-in-chief  of  the  army.  General  Macomb 
was  nominated  to  that  station.  This  nomination  was  confiirmed  by 
the  senate,  and  although  there  were  some  difiiculties  in  the  way, 
about  relative  rank.  General  Macomb  was  supported  in  his  office  not 
only  by  the  president  and  the  senate,  but  by  the  almost  entire  voice 
of  the  people.  All  matters,  which  at  one  time  threatened  discord  and 
confusion,  were  happily  surmounted,  and  harmony  restored.  He 
has  remembered  the  advantages  he  received  at  West  Point,  and  has 
constantly  been  the  friend  of  that  institution  ever  since.  May  he 
long  live  to  be  one  of  its  guardians.  Great  commanders  may  arise 
in  the  exigencies  of  a  nation,  from  the  bosom  of  private  life  ;  but  the 
regular  hopes  of  the  people  for  military  men,  must  be  founded  on  the 
provision  made  to  educate  youth  in  the  art  and  science  of  war ;  and 
we  must  be  prepared  for  war  until  the  time  arrives  when  the  sword 
shall  he  beaten  into  a  plough-share,  and  the  spear  into  a  pruning 
hook. 

6 


■i|8.^ 


Drawn  trom  iiie  and  i'.n.gra\^  byJ  n.Lon^rc. 


cy®iEiL  lEo  ii^OEsrgi^s'ic'c 


/>j^>^/yA 


JOEL   R.    POINSETT. 


The  distinguished  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  on  the  second  of 
March,  1779.     Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war, 
he  was  taken  to   England  by  his  parents,  and  brought  back  to 
Charleston  in  1788.      He  received  the  rudiments  of  his  classical 
education  in  that  city  under  Mr.  Thomson,  who  was  an  excellent 
teacher.     In  1793,  he  was  sent  by  his  father  to  be  placed  under  the 
care  and  tuition  of  Dr.  Dwight,  and  he  remained  at  Greenfield  Hill, 
in   Connecticut,  with  this   celebrated  man  for  nearly  two   years, 
when  the  state  of  his  health  obliged  his  father  to  recall  him  to  the 
milder  chmate  of  South  Carolina.     The  year  after,  he  was  sent  to 
England,  where  he  remained  at  school  at  Wandsworth,  near  London, 
under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Roberts,  brother  of  the  principal  of  St.  Paul's 
school.     In  all  these  different  seminaries,  he  took  an  eminent  station. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  left  Mr.  Roberts,  the  best  classical  scholar  in 
the  institution.     Thence  he  proceeded  to  Edinburgh.     In  compliance 
with  the  wishes  of  his  father,  he  matriculated  in  the  college  of  that 
city,  and  attended  the  medical  lectures.     In  this  institution,  under 
the  most  celebrated  masters  of  the  time  in  Europe,  he  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  that  general  knowledge  of  the  sciences,  which  he  has  pur- 
sued throughout  life.    He  was  interrupted  in  this  course  of  study  by 
indisposition;  and  by  the  advice  of  Dr.  Gregory,  who  had  manifested 
the  kindest  interest  in  him  during  his  residence  in  Edinburgh,  he 
went  to  Lisbon  for  the  recovery  of  his  health.     He  embarked  in  the 
stormy  winter  of  1798,  and  had  a  long  and  boisterous  passage,  being 
detained  by  contrary  winds  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  for  four  weeks. 
Such,  however,  was  the  beneficial  eflfect  of  the  sea  air  upon  his  con- 
stitution, that  although,  when  he  left  Edinburgh,  his  friend  and 
physician.  Dr.  Gregory,  considered  his  case  very  doubtful,  he  entirely 
recovered  his  health  before  he  landed  in  Lisbon.    He  remained  the 
rest  of  that  winter  in  Lisbon,  and  in  the  spring,  went  to  Oporto, 
whence  he  embarked  for  England.     Being  convinced  that  his  healtli 
would  not  permit  him  to  follow  any  sedentary  pursuit,  he  resolved 


1 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

to  direct  his  attention  to  the  study  of  mihtary  tactics,  with  a  view  of 
engaging  in  the  active  hfe  of  a  soldier.  For  this  purpose,  he  placed 
himself  under  the  tuition  of  Marquois,  who  had  been  a  teacher  in 
the  military  academy  at  "Woolwich.  Under  this  teacher,  he  studied 
the  higher  branches  of  mathematics,  fortification,  and  gunnery ;  but 
in  the  following  winter,  his  constitution  again  gave  way  under  great 
application,  in  the  rigorous  climate  of  London,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  seek  a  milder  region.  In  the  spring  of  1600,  he  returned 
to  Charleston ;  and  a  second  time  proved  the  beneficial  effect  of  the 
sea  air  upon  his  constitution: — before  he  reached  home,  he  was 
perfectly  restored  to  health. 

Finding  his  father  extremely  averse  to  his  entering  the  army  in 
time  of  peace,  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  De  Saussure,  now  chan- 
cellor of'  South  Carolina,  and  began  the  study  of  law.  Being 
desirous  of  completing  his  education  by  making  the  tour  of  Europe, 
he  obtained  the  consent  of  his  father  to  another  voyage.  In  1801, 
he  embarked  at  Baltimore  for  Havre.  He  sojourned  at  Paris  in  the 
winter  of  1801-2.  In  the  summer  he  visited  Switzerland ;  he  made 
the  tour  of  the  Cantons  on  foot ;  and  was  present  during  the  struggle 
which  took  place  to  reestablish  the  old  government  of  the  Helvetic 
Confederacy,  after  the  French  troops  were  withdrawn,  according  to 
the  stipulations  of  the  peace  of  Amiens.  When  that  struggle  was 
terminated  by  the  interference  of  France,  he  passed  the  Alps,  and 
visited  the  principal  cities  of  Italy.  He  made  the  tour  of  Sicily, 
visited  Malta,  and  returned  again  through  Italy  to  France.  He 
remained  a  short  time  in  Geneva,  and  passing  again  through  Switzer- 
land, took  the  road  to  Vienna  by  Bavaria.  He  passed  some  months 
at  the  Austrian  court;  but  receiving  while  here  the  melancholy 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  father,  he  set  out  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  and  travelled  day  and  night  to  Rotterdam,  whence  he 
returned  to  the  United  States. 

When  he  arrived  in  Charleston,  he  found  his  sister  suffering  under 
an  incipient  phthisis,  and  proceeded  with  her  to  New  York,  in  the 
hope  that  the  change  of  air  might  prove  beneficial  to  her  health. 
He  was  disappointed  in  this  hope :— after  lingering  a  few  months, 
she  expired  in  his  arms.  This  melancholy  bereavement,  by  which 
he  lost  his  last  surviving  near  relation,  had  a  great  effect  upon  the  des- 
tinies and  character  of  Mr.  Poinsett.  He  soon  after  returned  to  Eu- 
rope, and  proceeded  to  visit  the  northern  portions  of  that  continent.  At 
St.  Petersburg  he  was  received  in  the  most  distinguished  manner  by 
the  Emperor  Alexander,  with  whom  he  enjoyed  frequent  intercourse. 


JOEL  R.  POINSETT. 

The  emperor  delighted  to  inform  himself  on  the  republican  institu- 
tions of  our  country.     On  one  occasion,  when  Mr.  P.  was  speaking 
of  the  advantages  enjoyed  by  the  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
Alexander  exclaimed,    "  Sir,  you  are  right ;   and  if  I  were  not  an 
emperor,  I  certainly  would  be  a  repubhcan."     He  offered  to  retain 
Mr.  P.  in  his  service,  and  afforded  him  every  facility  in  his  tour 
through  the  European  and  Asiatic  possessions  of  his  vast  empire. 
Mr.  Poinsett,  in   consequence,  visited  Moscow  and  Kasan,  and 
thence  descended  the  Volga  to  Astrachan,  where  he  was  so  much 
interested  by  the  assemblage  of  people  from  every  part  of  Asia,  that 
he  remained  there  three  weeks,  although  the  plague  raged  violently 
at  the  time  in  that  place.     He  was  compelled  to  perform,  for  several 
days,  a  quarantine  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Volga;   but  the 
plague  breaking  out  in  the  quarantine  ground,  he  was  permitted  by 
the  governor  of  Astrachan  to  proceed  on  his  journey.     Before  he  left 
this  region,  he  visited  the  camps  of  the  Calmuc  Tartars,  in  the 
steppes,  and  passed  some  days  in  the  tent  of  one  of  the  priests,  where 
he  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  worship  of 
the  Dalai  Lama ;  as  he  had  previously  with  that  of  Bramah,  while 
in  Astrachan,  by  passing  a  night  in  the  quarter  occupied   by  the 
natives  of  India.     From  Astrachan  he  proceeded  along  the  shores  of 
the  Caspian  Sea  to  Terki,  the  capital  of  the  Lesghian  Tartars.    Here 
the  Lehemkall,  or  chief,  informed  him,  that  the  escort  with  which  he 
had  been  furnished  on  leaving  the  Russian  frontier  (three  hundred 
Cossacks)  was  not  sufficient  to  protect  him  in  his  passage  through 
that  country :  the  chief  advised  him,  besides,  to  return,  or  send  away 
the  escort,  which  was  calculated  to  provoke  hostility,  and  to  confide 
in  his  hospitality,  offering  to  convey  him  in  safety  to  Derbent.     He 
accepted  this  generous  offer,  and  put  himself  under  the  protection  of 
the  Lehemkall.     This  enabled  him  to  see  and  observe  the  manners 
and  customs  of  this  singular  people.     He  arrived  in  safety  at  Der- 
bent, the  Porta  Caspiee,  and  after  a  short  stay  there,  proceeded  with 
an  escort  on  the  road  to  Baku,  in  Persia.     On  this  journey  he  was 
attacked,  and  he  extricated  his  little  party  with  some  difficulty, 
retreating  to  the  Cuban,  in  the  Caucasian  mountains,  where  he  was 
kindly  received  by  the  khan,  under  whose  protection  he  reached 
Baku  in  safety.     In  this  neighborhood  he  visited  the  temple  of  fire, 
and  saw  the  Guebres,  from  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  who  come  as 
pilgrims  to  this  spot.     From  Baku  he  went  to  Schirvan,  and  after 
passing  through  Gangea,  arrived  at  Teflis,  in  Georgia.     Thence  he 
went  mto  Armenia,  and  was  present  at  the  unsuccessful  siege  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Erivan  by  the  Russian  army.     He   returned  to  Teflis  when  the 
Russians  withdrew  from  this  place.     Passing  through  the  centre  of 
the  isthmus,  between  the  Caspian  and  Black  Sea,  he  returned  to  St. 
Petersburg,  along  the  line  of  the  Cuban  to  the  Crimea,  and  thence 
through  the  Ukraine  to  Moscow  and  St.  Petersburg.     This  route 
was  through  a  sickly  tract.     Of  the  party  of  nine  that  accompanied 
Mr.  P.  from  Moscow,  only  three  survived ;  and  he  himself  was  so 
much  affected  by  the  climate,  that  he  was  compelled  to  go  to  Toep- 
litz  for  his  health.     In  the  course  of  his  journey  thither,  he  passed 
through  Konigsburg,  where  the  Prussian  court  resided,  and  Berlin, 
which  was  at  that  time  occupied  by  the  French  troops.     He  stopped 
a  few  days  at  Dresden,  and  visited  the  beautiful  country  called  Saxon 
Switzerland.     At  Toeplitz,  he  met  the  celebrated  Prince  de  Ligne, 
whom  he  had  formerly  known  at  Vienna.     Having  made  a  short 
stay  here,  he  went  to  Carlsbad,  and  proceeded  slowly  on  to  Paris, 
where  he  resided  some  months.     After  the  insult  offered  to  our  flag 
by  the  attack  on  the  Chesapeake  frigate,  he  considered  a  war  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  to  be  inevitable,  and  thought  it 
to  be  his  duty  to  return  home  to  offer  his  services  to  his  country. 
He  did  so,  and  Mr.  Madison  expressed  a  desire  to  make  him  quarter- 
master general  of  the  army — a  branch  of  the  service  very  defective 
at  that  time  in  the  United  States,  and  to  which  Mr.  P.  had  paid  par- 
ticular attention  ; — to  this,  Mr.  Eustis,  who  was  at  that  time  secretary 
of  war,  objected.     Mr.  P.  thought  he  perceived  on  the  part  of  the 
secretary  an  indisposition  to  receive  him  into  the  service,  and  he 
therefore  agreed  without  hesitation  to  a  proposal  made  to  him  from 
Mr.  Madison,  through  Mr.  Gallatin,  to  repair  to  South  America,  and 
ascertain  the  real  condition  of  the  South  American  people,  and  their 
prospects  of  success  in  the  revolution  just  commenced.     Accordingly 
he  proceeded  to  Rio  Janeiro,  and  thence  to  Buenos  Ayres,  where  he 
was  received  by  the  governing  junta  with  great  distinction.     After 
establishing  friendly  and  commercial  relations  with  Buenos  Ayres, 
he  crossed  the  continent  to  Chile.     This  became  the  theatre  of  the 
most  extraordinary  actions  of  his  life,  of  which  it  would  require 
more  space  than  is  allotted  to  these  memoirs  to  give  even  a  brief 
notice.     He  found  the  government  in  the  hands  of  the  Carreras,  who 
gave  him  a  most  flattering  welcome,  and   who,  shortly  after  his 
arrival,  declared  Chile  independent  of  Spain. 

When  the  war  with  Great  Britain  broke  out,  he  was  anxious  to 
return  home;  but  no  opportunity  of  doing  so  presented  itself;  and, 
subsequently,  the  British  cruisers  declared  their  intention  to  capture 


JOEL  R.  POINSETT. 

him  if  they  could.  Captain  Hillyer,  of  the  Phoebe,  refused  him 
permission  to  return  in  tlie  cartel,  which  was  asked  by  Captain 
Porter,  declaring,  that  he  would  not  permit  the  arch-enemy  of  Great 
Britain,  as  he  was  pleased  to  term  him,  peaceably  to  return  to  the 
seat  of  the  war. 

While  he  was  detained  in  Chile,  the  subject  of  declaring  war 
against  the  United  States  was  discussed  in  secret  session  of  the  Cortes 
in  Spain,  and  the  Spanish  authorities  in  Peru  proceeded  to  act  as  if 
war  had  taken  place  between  the  two  countries.  They  captured 
and  condemned  several  American  vessels,  and  upon  their  invading 
Chile,  they  seized  ten  American  whale  ships  in  the  port  of  Talca- 
huano.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Poinsett  obtained  the  perusal  of  an 
intercepted  letter  from  the  governor  of  San  Carlos  de  Chiloe,  inform- 
ing the  viceroy  of  Lima,  that  an  American  vessel  had  put  into  that 
port  for  supplies ;  that  he  had  seized  it,  and  should  send  it  on  to 
Callao,  as  soon  as  a  set  of  irons  was  completed,  \vhich  was  to  secure 
the  crew.  Mr.  Poinsett,  indignant  at  the  commission  of  these  acts 
of  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  Spanish  authorities,  accepted  the 
command  of  a  small  force,  which  was  offered  to  him  by  the  govern- 
ment of  Chile ;  with  this  he  retook  Talcahuano,  and  liberated  the 
vessels  detained  there.  The  exploit  was  noticed  in  the  Nantucket 
papers,  and  the  National  Intelligencer. 

When  the  Essex,  Captain  Porter,  arrived  in  Valparaiso,  Mr.  P. 
was  frequently  on  board ;  and  on  one  occasion,  when  she  left  the 
port  in  the  expectation  of  encountering  a  British  frigate,  he  sailed  in 
her.  The  vessel  they  went  out  to  meet  proved  to  be  a  Portuguese 
frigate.  The  Essex  returned  into  port,  and  Mr.  P.  had  only  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  all  the  preparations  for  a  naval  combat.  He 
was  on  board  the  Essex  when  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub  came  into 
Valparaiso  Bay,  and  had  subsequently  the  melancholy  satisfaction 
to  witness  the  gallant  defence  made  by  Captain  Porter,  and  his  brave 
officers  and  crew,  against  a  very  superior  force,  under  the  most  disad- 
vantageous and  discouraging  circumstances. 

After  the  capture  of  the  Essex,  Mr.  Poinsett  returned  across  the 
continent  to  Buenos  Ayres,  whence  he  sailed  for  Bahia,  in  a  Portu- 
guese brig,  having  escaped  the  British  squadron  by  dropping  down 
the  river  of  Plate  in  an  open  boat.  From  Bahia  he  embarked  in  a 
fast  sailing  schooner  for  Madeira,  where  he  heard  of  the  peace  with 
Great  Britain ;  and  after  a  short  residence  in  this  island,  he  returned 
to  Charleston.  Soon  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  of 
South  Carolina;  and  having  originated  there  a  s3'-stem  of  internal 


NATIONAl.  PORTRAITS. 

improvement,  in  the  execution  of  which  he  wished  to  cooperate,  he 
refused  to  accept  the  appointment  of  commissioner  to  South  America, 
tendered  him  by  Mr.  Monroe.     While  President  of  the  South  Carohna 
Board    of   Pubhc   Works,   he   superintended,   along  with   Colonel 
Blanding,  the  construction  of  a  road  over  the  Saluda  mountain,  a 
spur  of  the  blue  ridge.     This  is  generally  admitted  to  be  one  of  the 
best,  if  not  the  best  mountain  road  in  the  United  States,  and  is  an 
enduring  monument  of  Mr.  Poinsett's  pubhc  spirit  and  usefulness. 
In  1821,  he  was  elected  member  of  congress  for  Charleston  district, 
and  had  an  important  share  in  the  debate  on  the  recognition  of  the 
independence  of  Spanish  America.     In  1822,  he  was  invited  by  the 
president  to  go  to  Mexico,  in  order  to  examine  into  the  state  of  that 
country,  and  to  report  upon  the  expediency  of  instituting  diplomatic 
relations  with  the  Emperor  Iturbide.     He  executed  this  delicate  com- 
mission, and  advised,  for  obvious  reasons,  that  no  relations  should 
be  formed  with  the  Mexican  imperial  government,  foretelling,  with 
great  accuracy,  the  period  of  its  dissolution,  and  the  overthrow  of 
Iturbide.     He  was  twice  reelected  to  congress,  and  took  a  very  ser- 
viceable part  in  all  the  most  important  measures  discussed  in  the 
house  of  representatives  during  that  period. 

When  it  was  known  in  the  United  States  that  Iturbide  had  returned 
to  Mexico,  Mr.  Monroe  offered  to  Mr.  Poinsett  the  mission  to 
Mexico,  urging  his  acceptance  of  it.  From  the  peculiar  relations  in 
which  Mr.  Poinsett  stood  at  that  time  with  his  party  in  Charleston, 
he  was  compelled  to  decline  this  appointment.  Mr.  Monroe  after- 
wards renewed  this  offer ;  but  Mr.  Poinsett  had  defended  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's character  when  attacked  in  the  house  of  representatives,  and 
therefore  refused  to  receive  any  appointment  at  his  hands. 

Although  he  had  participated  in  the  election  contest  in  which  Mr. 
John  Quincy  Adams  succeeded,  and  had  voted  in  favor  of  General 
Jackson,  Mr.  Adams  proffered  him  the  appointment  of  envoy  extraor- 
dinary and  minister  plenipotentiary  to  Mexico,  which  he  at  length  ac- 
cepted.    Shortly  before  he  set  out  for  his  destination,  the  degree  of 
doctor  of  laws  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Columbia  college  in  New 
York  ;  together  with  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Elliott,  of  South  Carolina. 
His  conduct  while  in  Mexico  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties 
there,  has  been  a  subject  of  much  discussion  and  criticism ;  and  it  is 
to  be'regretted,  that  the  brief  nature  of  this  memoir  will  not  permit 
us  to  place  it  before  the  public  in  its  true  light.     He  never  did  inter- 
fere with  the  internal  concerns  of  that  country,  except  to  prevent 
civil  war :  and  that  in  one  instance  only,  and  with  the  knowledge 


JOEL  R.  POINSETT. 

and  consent  of  the  government.  His  friends  were  chosen  among 
the  popular,  or  democratic  party — the  party  now  in  power;  the 
aristocracy  and  hierarchy  attributed  entirely  to  him  the  loss  of  their 
influence  over  the  people, — which  was  the  effect  of  the  adoption 
of  republican  institutions,  and  a  representative  form  of  government. 
They  hated  him  accordingly ;  believing  that  if  they  could  get  rid 
of  him,  they  would  recover  the  standing  they  had  lost.  The  events 
subsequent  to  Mr.  Poinsett's  departure  must  have  convinced  them 
of  their  error,  as  they  show  conclusively,  that  the  tranquillity  of  the 
country,  and  the  contests  between  the  patriots,  were  not  affected  by 
his  presence.  He  was  accused  of  being  inimical  to  the  views  of  the 
European  Spaniards,  whereas  he  constantly  exerted  himself  to 
protect  them  from  persecution,  although  he  condemned  their  frequent 
interference  in  the  politics  of  the  republic.  They  never  could  be 
reconciled  to  the  dominion  of  the  Creoles. 

We  cannot  refrain  from  introducing  a  remarkable  incident  which 
Mr.  Poinsett  narrated  in  his  speech  to  the  people  of  Charleston,  to 
exemplify  the  power  which  our  Union  has  to  protect  its  citizens  abroad. 
The  election  of  Gomez  Pedraza  to  the  presidentship  of  Mexico, 
was  not  acquiesced  in  by  the  people  ;  and  from  discontent  and  mur- 
murs they  soon  proceeded  to  open  revolt.  At  night,  they  took  pos- 
session of  the  artillery  barracks,  a  large  building,  commonly  called 
the  Accoj'dada,  which  is  so  situated  at  the  termination  of  the  main 
street,  that  a  battery  erected  opposite  to  it  commanded  the  palace. 
Near  the  Accordada  is  the  Alameda,  a  public  walk  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  ornamented  with  noble 
trees.  The  action  commenced  here,  after  a  vain  attempt  on  the  part 
of  the  government  to  negotiate  with  the  people.  The  government 
forces  were  driven  out  of  the  Alameda,  and  batteries  established 
higher  up  the  street.  The  second  day,  the  troops  of  the  Accordada, 
commanded  by  Zavala  and  Lobato,  advanced  towards  the  centre 
of  the  city,  in  two  columns — one  by  the  main  street,  and  the  other 
by  a  street  running  parallel  to  it,  on  which  Mr.  Poinsett's  house 
was  situated.  In  order  to  check  the  advance  of  these  columns,  the 
government  troops  were  posted  in  the  towers  and  steeples  of  the 
convents  and  churches,  and  traverses  mounted  with  cannon  were 
constructed  across  the  streets.  One  of  these  works  was  situated  about 
three  hundred  yards  from  Mr.  Poinsett's  house,  and  immediately 
under  the  tower  of  a  convent  on  which  men  were  stationed.  After 
several  ineffectual  attempts  had  been  made  to  carry  this  work  by  an 
attack  of  infantry  in  front,  suddenly  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  that  had 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

succeeded  in  turning  the  flank  of  the  battery,  which  was  unprotected, 
came  thundering  upon  the  artillery  and  sabred  the  men  at  their  guns. 
The  soldiers  on  the  tower,  who  for  a  time  were  afraid  to  use  their 
arms,  lest  they  should  kill  their  comrades,  at  length  poured  down  an 
effective  fire  upon  the  cavalry.     Several  fell ;  some  dashed  down  the 
street,  and  others  threw  themselves  oif  their  horses  and  took  refuge 
under  the  eaves  of  the  very  tower  whence  this  destructive  fire  had 
proceeded.     The  horses,  whose  riders  had  been  killed,  ran  about 
wild  with  terror  ;  but  those  of  the  dismounted  cavaliers  instinctively 
leant  up  against  the  wall  of  the  tower  as  closely  as  their  riders  did, 
and  both  escaped  the  shots  from  above.     When  the  cannon  of  this 
battery  was  silenced,  the  troops  were  soon  driven  from  the  convent. 
The  convent  of  Saint  Augustine,  situated  in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Poin- 
sett's house,  was  the  last  to  yield  to  the  besiegers.     While  the  firing 
was  going  on  at  this  post,  Madame  Yturrigaray,  widow  of  the  former 
viceroy  of  Mexico,  who  lived  in  the  adjoining  house,  rushed  into  her 
balcony,  almost  frantic  with  fear,  and  implored  Mr.  Poinsett  to 
protect  her  house.     While  he  was  giving  her  assurances  of  pro- 
tection, and  trying  to  calm  her  fears,  a  shot  was  fired  at  him  from 
the  roof  of  the  convent  opposite  his  house.     The  ball  passed  through 
his  cloak  and  buried  itself  in  the  shutter  of  the  balcony  window.     He 
retired  within  the  house,  and  shortly  after  the  besiegers  were  heard 
advancing.     They  were  composed  of  the  common  people  of  the  city, 
and  the  peasants  of  the  neighboring  villages,  mingled  with  the  civic 
guard  of  Mexico,  and  deserters  from  different  regiments.     The  tramp 
of  armed  men  and  the  hum  of  voices  alone  indicated  their  approach  ; 
but  when  they  reached  the  house,  there  arose  one  wild  shout,  and  a 
desperate  rush  was  made  to  burst  open  the  door.     The  massive  gates 
resisted  the  utmost  efforts  of  the  crowd.     A  cry  arose  to  fire  into  the 
windows,  to  bring  up  cannon,  to  drive  in  the  door ;  and  bitter  impre- 
cations were  uttered  against  the  owner  of  the  house  for  sheltering 
their  enemies,  the  European  Spaniards,  many  of  whom  had  sought 
an  asylum  in  Mr.  Poinsett's  house.     At  this  moment,  Mr.  Poin- 
sett directed  Mr.  Mason,  the  secretary  of  the  American  legation,  to 
throw  out  the  flag  of  the  United  States.     This  was  gallantly  done, 
and  they  both  stood  on  the  balcony  beneath  its  waving  folds.     The 
shouts  were  hushed ;  the  soldiers  slowly  dropped  the  muzzles  of  their 
guns,  which  were  levelled  at  the  balcony  and  windows, 

Mr.  Poinsett  seized  this  opportunity  to  tell  them  who  he  was, 
and  what  flag  waved  over  him,  and  to  claim  security  for  all  who 
were  under  its  protection,     Perceiving  that  the  crowd  Avas  awed  and 


JOEL  R.  POINSETT. 

began  to  consult  together,  he  retired  from  the  balcony  to  despatch 
his  servant  with  a  note  to  the  commander  of  the  besieging  army. 
The  servant  returned,  and  reported  that  the  press  was  so  great  that 
the  porter  was  afraid  to  open  the  door  lest  the  crowd  should  rush  in. 
Mr.  Poinsett  instantly  resolved  to  go  down  himself  and  have  the 
door  opened.  As  he  descended  the  stairs  he  was  joined  by  Mr.  Mason. 
They  proceeded  together  across  the  court  yard  to  the  door  which  the 
porter  was  ordered  to  open.  As  they  stepped  over  the  threshold,  the 
dense  crowd  which  filled  the  street,  rolled  back  like  a  wave  of  the 
ocean.  The  servant,  who  was  a  Mexican,  mingled  with  them,  and 
before  the  people  recovered  from  their  astonishment  the  two  gentle- 
men returned  into  the  court  yard  and  the  door  was  closed  by  the 
porter.  Before  they  reached  the  front  of  the  house,  they  heard  the 
rapid  advance  of  a  body  of  cavalry.  It  was  commanded  by  a  friend 
of  the  legation.  The  gates  were  thrown  open,  the  horsemen  rode 
into  the  court  yard,  their  commander  stationed  sentinels  before  the 
door,  and  Mr.  Poinsett  had  the  satisfaction  to  redeem  his  promise  of 
protection  to  Madam  Yturrigaray.  Her  house  was  respected  amidst 
the  wildest  disorder,  and  those  who  had  sought  an  asylum  under  the 
flag  of  the  United  States,  remained  in  perfect  safety  until  tranquillity 
was  restored.  The  house  was  a  quadrangle,  and  the  court  yard 
shut  in  by  a  'porte  cochere.  The  people  before  the  door  were,  many 
of  them,  loaded  with  plunder  from  the  houses  and  shops  into  which 
they  had  broken. 

Mr.  Poinsett  was  accused  of  originating  masonry  in  Mexico:  — 
its  rites  existed  there  long  before  his  visits.  All  that  he  did,  was  to 
send  for  charters  from  the  grand  lodge  of  New  York,  at  the  request 
of  the  officers  of  the  five  lodges  which  existed  in  the  capital ;  a 
request  urged  by  several  of  the  highest  functionaries  of  the  govern- 
ment. He  explained  all  these  circumstances  to  the  public,  in  his 
able  reply  to  the  accusations  made  against  him  by  the  legislatures  of 
Vera  Cruz  and  Mexico ;  and,  subsequently,  in  answer  to  a  British 
pamphlet,  pubhshed  in  London.  These  answers  were  generally 
considered  as  a  triumphant  refutation  of  all  the  charges  preferred 
against  him. 

After  undergoing  in  Mexico  a  persecution  of  eighteen  months, 
during  which  period  his  life  was  considered  in  danger,  he  was 
recalled  by  General  Jackson,  who,  in  his  next  annual  message,  men- 
tioned him  in  a  complimentary  manner.  During  his  residence  in 
Mexico,  he  negotiated  a  treaty  of  limits,  and  one  of  commerce, 
which,  from  a  prejudice  that  existed  in  the  bosoms  of  some  of  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

senators  against  him,  were  not  ratified,  until  some  time  after  his 
departure.  Those  Americans  who  belonged  to  the  legation  at 
Mexico,  or  who  resided  there  with  different  objects,  understood  his 
position  and  conduct,  and  vindicated  and  admired  his  course. 

So  prominent  a  politician  and  zealous  a  patriot  as  Mr.  Poinsett, 
could  not  fail  to  exert  and  distinguish  himself  in  the  important 
public  questions  which  were  raised  in  South  Carolina  since  his 
return.  He  sided  with  the  Union  party,  as  opposed  to  the  advocates 
of  nullification.  It  is  not  within  our  province  or  design  to  pronounce 
judgment  upon  the  merits  of  parties,  or  the  comparative  soundness 
of  their  opinions  and  measures ;  but  we  may  say  of  Mr.  Poinsett, 
what  we  presume  his  political  adversaries  will  admit, — that  he  was 
an  honorable,  as  well  as  an  able  and  intrepid  leader — that  he  is 
firmly  attached  to  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  would 
have  sacrificed  his  life  in  its  defence.  His  efforts  to  organize  the 
Union  party ;  the  speeches  which  he  delivered ;  the  addresses  and 
essays  which  he  wrote,  in  furtherance  of  its  objects ;  and  the  deter- 
mination which  he  manifested  for  himself,  and  fostered  in  others, 
will  render  his  name  most  creditably  conspicuous  in  the  annals  of  a 
memorable  contest. 

The  proficiency  of  Mr.  Poinsett  in  scientific  and  literary  studies 
is  considerable.  When  abroad,  he  constantly  gave  attention  to 
objects  of  natural  history,  and  made  collections  with  which  he 
enriched  our  principal  cities,  especially  Philadelphia,  New  York,  and 
Charleston.  His  published  volume  of  Notes  on  Mexico  ;  his  excel- 
lent articles  in  (Quarterly  Reviews ;  his  printed  essays  and  memoirs 
as  a  geographer  and  traveller ;  his  various  replies  to  calumnies  and 
misapprehensions  of  his  conduct;  have  acquired  for  him  a  well- 
merited  literary  reputation.  As  a  legislator,  he  was  truly  substantive 
and  exemplary,  from  the  extent  and  variety  of  his  practical  informa- 
tion and  talents ;  his  superior  aptitude  and  habits  as  a  man  of 
business ;  and  his  instructive,  compendious  sense,  and  gentlemanly 
discipline  in  debate.  He  is  a  clear,  concise,  energetic  public  speaker. 
Few  men  of  his  age  have  seen  more  of  the  world,  and  with  so  much 
intellectual  profit:  few  have  displayed  equal  enterprise,  courage, 
equanimity,  and  perseverance.  The  regulation  of  his  temper,  and 
the  simplicity  of  his  courteous  manners,  correspond  to  the  strength 
and  culture  of  his  reason.  His  country,  which  he  passionately 
loves,  may  yet  gain  much  from  the  activity  of  his  zeal,  and  the 
uncommon  diversity  of  his  powers,  attainments,  and  experience. 

10 


Enj4,Tjived  by  J.Bion^acre  from  al^iwin^  byCRKine. 


.  ,-c^' 


5EAVJE  sir(0)iDss)j^g^®  cS'(n)3iiw^ir©)^o 


J"  y  ^a^;^rr^^'^ 


JOSIAH     S.    JOHNSTON. 


JosiAH  Stoddard  Johnston,  for  many  years  the  representative 
of  the  state  of  Louisiana  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut.     He  was  born  on  the  25th  of  November,  1784, 
at  Sahsbury,  a  town  in  the  north-western  corner  of  the  state,  plea- 
santly situated  among  the  declivities  of  the  Green  mountains,  and 
near  the  falls  of  the  Housatonic  river.     He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Dr. 
John  Johnston,  a  physician  of  eminence,  who  had  married  Miss 
Mary  Stoddard,  a  young  lady  connected  with  the  highly  respectable 
family  of  the  same  name,  long  setded  in  that  part  of  New  England. 
When  his  son  was  about  six  years  old.  Dr.  Johnston  removed  with 
his  family  to  Kentucky,  at  that  time  not  yet  admitted  into  the  Union, 
and  still  exposed  to  the  hardships  of  a  newly  settled  country,  and 
the  warlike  incursions  of  the  Indians.     He  selected  as  his  place  of 
residence  the  county  of  Mason,  then  just  laid  out,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  river,  and  at  a  plantation  near  the  town  of  Washington,  on 
which  he  first  settled,  he  continued  to  live  until  his  death,  in  1831. 
His  son  was  sent  back  to  Connecticut  when  about  twelve  years  of 
age,  and  remained  there,  at  school,  for  some  time.     He  acquired  an 
excellent  education,  the  evidence  of  which  appears  in  the  strength, 
clearness,  and  simplicity  of  his  style,  as  a  writer  and  public  speaker, 
and  was  displayed  through  life  in  his  conversation,  and  in  his  fond- 
ness for  hteraiy  pursuits.     After  his  return  to  Kentucky,  he  was 
graduated  at  Transylvania  university,  then  lately  founded  at  Lex- 
ington, and  soon  after  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  with  Mr. 
Nkholas,  a  leading  member  of  the  bar.     He  entered  on  the  practice 
of  the  law  in  Mason  county,  but  after  a  short  time  passed  there,  he 
resolved  to  try  his  fortunes  on  the  new  and  wide  theatre  which  was 
opening  for  ambition  and  enterprise,  in  the  south-western  portion 

of  the  Union. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1805,  Mr.  Johnston  repaired  to 
Natchez,  and  remained  a  short  time,  with  a  view  to  select  that  spot 
which  should  appear  most  desirable  as  his  future  residence.     Lou- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

isiana,  lately  obtained  from  the  French,  was  still  under  a  territorial 
government,  and  except  along  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi,  but  very 
thinly  inhabited  and  very  little  known.  In  the  interior,  a  few  forts 
originally  established  by  the  French  colonists  on  the  principal 
streams,  had  led  to  the  rise  of  small  villages  ;  but  these  were  remote 
from  each  other,  and  the  intermediate  country  was  in  the  possession 
of  the  Indians,  or  the  first  settlers,  who  had  here  and  there  taken 
possession  of  spots  which  seemed  to  promise  more  than  usual  advan- 
tasre,  either  from  their  situation  or  the  excellence  of  the  soil.  He 
chose  the  country  through  which  the  Red  river  passes,  one  that  he 
foresaw  was  destined  to  increase  rapidly  in  population  and  wealth ; 
and,  after  a  short  visit  to  Natchitoches,  ultimately  fixed  himself  at 
Alexandria,  a  town  in  the  parish  Rapides,  the  site  of  an  old  Indian 
village.  This  continued  to  be  the  place  of  his  permanent  residence 
until  his  death,  a  period  of  nearly  thirty  years. 

When  Mr.  Johnston  arrived  at  Alexandria,  he  found  himself  in 
the  midst  of  a  country,  rich  indeed  in  all  that  nature  could  bestow 
of  fertility  of  soil  and  resources  for  prosperity  and  wealth,  but  thinly 
inhabited,  far  from  the  comforts  and  advantages  of  regions  longer 
known,  with  few  of  the  useful  restraints  which  laws  and  population 
impose,  and  peopled  by  men  who  sought  rapidly  to  increase  their 
fortunes,  or  who  preferred  the  life  of  adventure  held  out  to  them,  to 
the  less  exciting  pursuits  they  had  left.  The  rural  occupiers  of  the 
territory  had  acquired  very  much  the  manners  and  habits  of  life  that 
were  displayed  by  the  hunters  ;  and  a  large  portion  of  the  French 
and  Spanish  colonists  had  grown  up  in  those  rude  and  lawless  habits, 
which  are  natural  on  a  frontier  constantly  liable  to  invasion  by  the 
savages.  Under  the  former  government  they  were  far  removed, 
not  only  from  the  restraints,  but  the  protection  of  the  laws,  and  they 
had  become  accustomed  to  maintain  their  social  relations  by  reliance 
on  their  individual  prowess,  rather  than  by  appeal  or  submission  to 
the  laws.  The  territorial  government  of  the  United  States  could 
have  possessed  but  small  authority  in  that  remote  and  thinly  peopled 
region,  even  had  it  been  completely  organized,  and  in  peaceable 
progress  ;  but  instead  of  this,  it  had  to  encounter  the  insurrectionaiy 
movements  which  were  made  at  that  time  in  the  Yalley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  and  it  was,  besides,  in  a  state  of  very  imperfect  and  inefficient 
organization.  Among  a  population  thus  constituted,  Mr.  Johnston, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  commenced  the  career  of  active  life.  He 
was  the  daily  witness  of  affrays  and  personal  contests — of  the  ebul- 
litions of  a  rude  and  violent  people  ;  he  was  himself  a  man  of  much 


JOSIAH  S.  JOHNSTON. 

personal  courage,  as  well  as  of  a  manly  and  resolute  spirit ;  yet  he 
soon  acquired  among  his  neighbors  a  popularity  and  influence  which 
he  never  lost.  His  firmness,  discretion,  and  strict  sense  of  justice 
preserved  him,  in  those  troublesome  times,  from  unfortunate  collisions 
which  few  escaped ;  and  they  afforded  him  a  still  more  gratifying 
source  of  pleasure  and  pride,  by  making  him,  on  innumerable  occa- 
sions, the  successful  umpire  and  mediator  in  occurrences,  which,  with- 
out such  friendly  aid,  might  have  led  to  unfortunate  and  fatal  results. 

Self-dependant,  full  of  patriotic  spirit,  devoted  to  his  profession, 
desirous  of  an  independence,  the  result  of  his  own  exertions,  and 
ambitious  of  an  honorable  fame,  he  devoted  himself,  with  indefa- 
tigable industry,  to  his  business  as  a  lawyer,  extending  his  range  of 
practice  far  into  the  adjoining  districts,  and  subjecting  himself  without 
hesitation  to  every  personal  inconvenience.  When  the  first  terri- 
torial legislature  assembled  at  New  Orleans,  he  was  elected  a  dele- 
gate from  the  parish  where  he  lived,  and  he  continued  to  hold  his 
seat  there,  until  the  admission  of  Louisiana  into  the  Union,  in  the 
year  1812.  During  this  period,  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  assembly,  useful  from  his  industry  and  prac- 
tical knowledge,  and  obtaining  general  confidence  from  his  candid 
and  honorable  character. 

As  soon  as  the  new  government  went  into  operation,  he  was 
appointed  a  judge  of  the  district  in  which  he  resided,  embracing  the 
parish  of  Rapides,  and  several  others  adjoining  it.  When,  however, 
Louisiana  was  invaded  by  the  British,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
employed  himself  with  his  neighbors  in  raising  a  regiment  of  volun- 
teers ;  he  purchased  with  his  own  money  a  large  quantity  of  arms 
and  ammunition ;  and,  being  himself  placed  in  command,  hastened 
to  New  Orleans.  The  decisive  and  gallant  victory  of  the  8th  of 
January,  1815,  had,  however,  occurred  in  the  mean  time,  so  that  he 
was  unable  to  participate  in  the  glories  of  that  action  ;  but  he  was 
directed  by  General  Jackson  to  superintend  the  removal  of  the 
wounded  prisoners  to  the  hospitals,  a  duty  congenial  to  his  kind 
disposition,  which  he  performed  with  great  promptness  and  skill. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  returned  to  Alexandria,  to  resume  his  judicial 
functions,  and  these  he  continued  to  exercise  until  the  year  1821, 
with  increased  respect  and  confidence  on  the  part  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens. At  the  close  of  the  war  he  married  a  highly  accomplished 
and  amiable  lady  of  Louisiana,  since  eminently  distinguished  in 
all  the  various  scenes  in  which  she  has  been  placed,  throughout  her 
husband's  long  and  successful  public  career.     She  was  the  daughter 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

of  Dr.  John  Sibley,  of  Natchitoches,  a  gentleman  for  many  years 
resident  in  that  remote  country,  from  whose  observations  upon  it 
much  useful  scientific  information  has  been  derived,  and  who  has 
represented  its  interests  in  several  important  situations  with  great 

ability. 

In  the  year  1821,  Mr.  Johnston  was  called  upon  to  serve  his 
fellow  citizens  on  a  broader  field,  by  being  elected  a  representative 
in  the  seventeenth  congress  of  the  United  States.     From  that  period 
until  his  death,  his  name  is  connected  with  the  principal  political 
events  of  the  times,  always  preserving  the  same  character  of  public 
usefulness  and  private  excellence.     He  soon  showed  himself  too  able 
a  supporter  of  the  interests  of  his  constituents,  and  too  intelligent  a 
statesman,  to  be  overlooked  by  those  whom  he  served.     After  his 
term  as  a  representative  expired,  in  the  year  1823,  he  was  elected  to 
the  senate  of  the  United  States,  to  supply  the  vacancy  occasioned  by 
the  appointment  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Brown,  as  minister  to  France. 
That  term  expiring,  he  was  reelected  to  the  same  place  in  the  year 
1825,  and  again  in  the  year  1831,  on  the  latter  occasion  being  chosen 
by  a  legislature  in  which  the  majority  were  of  a  party  opposed  to 
himself,  but  among  whom  the  integrity,  ability,  and  patriotism  for 
which  he  was  distinguished,  outweighed  all  political  predilections. 
It  is  well  known,  that  twice  during  this  period  it  was  the  wish  of 
his  friends  to  offer  him  the  nomination  of  governor  of  Louisiana,  an 
office  to  which  he  might  reasonably  have  aspired,  with  every  chance 
of  success  ;  but  he  believed  that  his  services  could  be  more  usefully 
rendered  in  the  place  he  held,  and  where  such  was  the  case,  no 
motive  of  personal  ambition  could  have  induced  him  voluntarily  to 

change  it. 

While  Mr.  Johnston  was  in  congress,  he  took  part  in  most  of  the 

important  topics  that  occupied  the  attention  of  that  body.      For 

several  years,  he  filled  with  great  ability  the  place  of  chairman  of 

the  committee  on  commerce,  and,  as  such,  made  a  report  on  the 

state  of  our  trade  with  the  British  colonies,  abounding  with  very 

valuable  information,  and  containing  many  important  suggestions 

in  reo-ard  to  that  interesting  dispute.     These  he  sustained  in  a  speech, 

which,  whatever  opinion  may  be  entertained  of  the  general  policy 

on  this  question  contended  for  by  himself  and  his  political  friends, 

must  be  admitted  to  present  the  subject  in  a  striking  point  of  view, 

and  to  embrace  a  statement  of  the  historical  facts  connected  with  it, 

remarkably  comprehensive  and  clear.      To  commercial  subjects, 

indeed,  he  devoted  much  of  his  attention;   his  inquiries  among 


JOSIAH  S.  JOHNSTON. 

practical  men  were  constant,  and  the  results  of  them  were  daily- 
noticed  in  the  performance  of  his  public  duties.     He  extended  them 
even  beyond  the  ordinary  topics  which  were  brought  to  the  consi- 
deration of  the  senate,  and  constantly  occupied  himself  in  investi- 
gations and  reflections  in  regard  to  them,  which,  when   occasion 
served,  he  endeavored  to  apply  to  purposes  of  practical  utility.     He 
cherished  strongly  the  desire,  also  entertained  by  many  of  our  states- 
men, of  introducing  into  the  intercourse  between  nations,  those  rules 
which  should  protect  the  merchant  amid  the  dangers  of  war,  and 
preserve  the  social  intercourse  of  mankind,  and  the  peaceful  and 
beneficial  arts,  from  those  dangers  which  should  of  right  be  attendant 
only  on  the  designs  and  the  contests  of  the  hostile.     "  With  regard," 
he  remarks,  in  one  of  his  speeches,  "to  the  policy  of  mitigating  the 
practice  and  laws  of  nations,  in  maritime  war,  and  of  establishing 
the  same  rules  that  have  obtained  in  other  wars — to  except  non- 
combatants  and  private  property  from  its  operations — there  can  be 
but  one  opinion  here.     Such  a  modification  of  the  public  law  on  the 
ocean,  would  deprive  war  of  most  of  its  destructive  and  unhappy 
consequences;    would   cause  that,  now  permitted   against  regular 
coimnerce  and  private  rights— producing  disorders,  violence,  and 
crimes,  ruinous  to  one  class  by  making  them  a  prey  to  the  needy 
and  desperate  adventurers  who  rob  and  plunder  by  commission,  and 
demoralizing  in  its  influence  on  all— to  cease  to  disgrace  the  code 
of  civilized  nations ;  and  this  object  is  worthy  the  profound  attention 
of  this  government,  and  of  the  enlightened  age  in  which  we  live." 
In  pursuance  of  these  just  and  benevolent  views,  he  strongly  urged 
the  adoption  of  two  principles,  whenever  it  could  be  effected  in  our 
arrangements  with  foreign  nations— that  neutral   vessels   should 
protect  the  goods  on  board,  to  whomsoever  they  might  belong,  and 
that  the  articles  not  to  be  furnished  by  neutrals  to  the  contending 
parties,  should  be  limited  to  the  smallest  possible  number  of  such  as 
are  of  direct  use,  and  essential  in  their  operations.     To  effect  these 
results,  may  be  regarded  as  just  objects  of  ambition  to  every  Ame- 
rican statesman. 

Nearly  allied  with  the  subject  of  commerce,  is  that  of  finance;  and 
to  this  the  mind  of  Mr.  Johnston  was  admirably  adapted.  Perhaps 
to  no  branch  of  public  affairs  did  he  give  so  much  of  his  attention, 
and  whenever  any  subject  connected  with  it  came  under  the  consi- 
deration of  the  senate,  he  brought  to  bear  the  resources  of  a  memory 
remarkably  well  stored  with  facts,  and  a  mind  of  great  precision  and 
clearness.    He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  committee  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

finance  in  the  senate,  and  his  sentiments  and  views  on  these  subjects 
were  always  Hstened  to  with  more  than  usual  respect,  even  by  those 
who  entertained  different  opinions  in  regard  to  the  constitutionality 
and  expediency  of  some  measures  which  he  strenuously  advocated. 
The  question  of  the  tariff,  of  course,  occupied  much  of  his  atten- 
tion, not  merely  as  a  representative  of  Louisiana,  deeply  interested 
in  a  question  essentially  affecting  her  interests,  but  as  an  American 
statesman,  always  regarding  anxiously  those  measures  which  had  a 
direct  or  remote  bearing  on  the  vital  principles  of  the  government  of 
his  country.  Representing  in  the  senate  a  state  whose  interests  in 
relation  to  protecting  duties  are  more  doubtful  and  more  nicely 
balanced  than  those  of  any  other  in  the  Union,  it  was  always  his 
anxious  wish,  as  he  declared,  to  preserve  the  rights  of  one  part 
without  sacrificing  those  of  the  other.  He  strenuously  maintained 
the  right  of  congress  to  lay  duties  for  revenue,  for  the  protection 
of  domestic  industry,  and  as  a  measure  of  counteraction  against 
foreign  countries.  He  also  repeatedly  advocated  the  policy  of 
extendino-  the  aid  of  the  government  to  sustain  our  own  establish- 
ments,  until  they  acquired  strength  to  stand  without  competition. 
He  admitted  the  difiiculty  of  compromising  and  reconciling,  by 
legislation,  all  the  conflicting  interests  of  a  nation,  so  extensive,  so 
diversified  in  soil,  climate,  and  productions,  but  held  it,  as  he  said, 
"  to  be  the  duty  of  a  statesman,  upon  great  questions  of  policy,  to 
cast  his  feelings  into  the  common  stock — to  look  to  his  country,  her 
constitution,  her  capacities,  her  wants,  her  interests— to  act  for  all, 
as  far  as  is  compatible  with  the  rights  and  interests  peculiarly 
intrusted  to  his  charge."  Engaged  himself  entirely  in  the  cultivation 
of  cotton,  this  testimony  in  favor  of  a  fair  protection  of  American 
manufactures  is  more  than  usually  strong,  and  its  force  is  not  a 
little  increased  by  the  liberality  and  entire  freedom  from  every  selfish 
motive,  which  distinguished  him  throughout  his  public  career.  But 
this  was  not  the  only  result  of  his  situation  as  a  planter.  His  own 
experience  enabled  him  to  trace  to  its  true  cause  the  depression  in 
the  culture  of  cotton,  which  was  attributed,  by  several  of  the  Southern 
states,  to  the  legislative  measures  he  advocated.  He  has  pointed  out, 
with  singular  felicity  and  force,  the  inevitable  effects  of  bringing  into 
a  market  formerly  supplied  entirely  by  themselves,  the  abundant 
productions  of  a  new  soil,  and  an  extensive  territory,  peculiarly  well 
fitted  for  their  growth  and  increase.  Though  not  himself  interested 
in  the  cultivation  of  sugar,  he  devoted  to  a  subject  extremely  impor- 
tant to  his  state,  constant  research,  attention,  and  study.     He  applied 


JOSIAH   S.  JOHNSTON. 

himself  to  every  source  whence  useful  information  could  be  obtained, 
and  communicated  it  to  his  constituents  at  home.  He  watched 
faithfully  in  congress  every  suggestion  or  measure  that  could  affect 
its  prosperity,  and  his  sentiments  on  this  subject  agreeing  with  his 
general  theory  of  protection,  he  opposed,  with  zeal  and  skill,  every 
measure  likely  to  interfere  with  it.  He  has  shown,  with  unusual 
ability,  how  closely  it  is  connected  with  nearly  every  branch  of 
domestic  industry;  and  his  speeches  in  congress,  and  occasional 
essays  on  this  subject,  are  among  the  most  successful  works  of 
the  kind  that  have  appeared,  during  a  period  fertile  in  such  pro- 
ductions. 

Entertaining  these  opinions  in  regard  to  protective  policy,  and 
maintaining  as  he  always  did,  with  unshaken  firmness,  the  great 
principles  of  the  constitution,  it  may  be  supposed  he  viewed  with  no 
favorable  eye  the  novel  doctrine  of  nullification,  which,  unfortunately, 
found  advocates  among  some  of  the  ablest  statesmen  of  the  South. 
Had  he  been  convinced  of  the  existence  of  the  evil,  he  would  still 
have  indignantly  opposed  the  measures  resorted  to  for  its  remedy. 
No  one  had  studied  with  more  care  the  theory  of  the  constitution, 
or  watched  more  acutely  the  actual  resuhs,  the  practical  interpreta- 
tion, which  had  grown  out  of  the  experience  of  forty  years.     The 
political  and  constitutional  history  of  America  was  his  favorite  study, 
and  he  delighted  to  trace  back  to  their  springs  the  various  views 
developed  in  it,  and  the  peculiarities  of  a  system  over  whose  preser- 
vation he  anxiously  watched.     In  a  speech  delivered  by  him  on  the 
celebrated  resolution  of  Mr.  Foote,  he  has  introduced  with  great 
effect  the  results  of  his  researches  and  reflections  on  this  interesting 
topic.     He  has  proved  that  the  doctrine  now  promulgated  has  never 
met  the  approbation  of  any  state  of  the  Union,  even  in  times  of 
high  excitement ;  and  he  has  shown,  that  every  precedent,  cited  or 
assumed,  is  wanting  in  those  very  points  which  have  been  relied  on 
to  sustain  a  theory  fatal  to  our  government,  if  its  existence  is  to 
continue  such  as  it  was,  when  framed  and  handed  down  to  us  by 
our  forefathers. 

But  the  legislative  services  of  Mr.  Johnston  were  not  confined  to 
questions  of  this  general  and  absorbing  nature.  In  the  practical 
character  of  his  mind,  and  in  his  personal  activity,  his  constituents 
and  the  whole  country  had  a  guaranty  never  deceptive,  that  all 
measures  of  importance,  public  or  private,  were  attentively  watched 
and  considered.  The  debates  of  the  senate,  during  the  whole  period 
he  was  seated  there,  as  well  as  the  numerous  useful  measures,  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

adoption  of  which  he  urged,  facihtated,  and  not  unfrequently  secured, 
give  ample  evidence  of  this. 

Unfortunately,  however,  for  his  country,  not  less  than  his  friends, 
this  life  of  beneficial  service  was  destined  to  be  abruptly  terminated. 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  returning  to  Louisiana,  after  the  close  of  the 
sessions  of  congress,  and  in  the  spring  of  1833,  made  that  journey, 
accompanied  by  his  only  child,  a  young  man  of  seventeen.  He  was 
received  at  home  with  the  welcome  that  always  awaited  him  there ; 
and  public  dinners  were  offered  to  him  by  his  constituents  and  friends. 
Having  occasion,  however,  to  visit  his  plantation  on  the  Red  river, 
he  first  determined  to  seize  the  opportunity  to  proceed  as  far  as 
Natchitoches,  the  residence  of  his  father-in-law.  For  this  purpose, 
he  embarked  on  board  of  the  Lioness,  a  small  steamboat  navigating 
the  upper  waters  of  the  state.  On  the  evening  of  the  18th  of  May, 
1833,  he  and  his  son  left  the  village  of  Alexandria.  The  captain  of 
the  vessel,  with  inexcusable  negligence,  had  a  considerable  quantity 
of  gunpowder  in  the  hold,  unknown  to  the  passengers.  About 
daylight  the  following  morning,  as  the  steamboat  was  passing  the 
Rigolet  Bon  Dieu,  an  explosion  took  place,  occasioned,  as  is  supposed, 
by  a  candle  taken  by  one  of  the  sailors  into  the  hold,  where  the 
gunpowder  was.  Three  successive  explosions,  following  each  other 
with  great  rapidity,  were  heard  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  such 
was  their  force,  that  the  fore  cabin,  the  deck  above  the  boiler,  (which 
in  the  western  steamboats  is  placed  on  the  main  deck  forward, 
towards  the  bow  of  the  vessel,)  and  the  hold  under  the  boiler,  were 
all  scattered  in  fragments  over  the  water.  Some  of  the  passengers 
who  were  thrown  out,  saved  themselves  by  seizing  these  fragments 
In  about  two  minutes  after  the  catastrophe,  the  hull  of  the  boat  sunk, 
leaving  the  ladies'  cabin  floating  on  the  surface  ;  and  from  this  portion 
of  the  wreck  several  persons  were  rescued.  Mr.  Johnston,  who 
was  lying  in  a  lower  berth,  sunk  with  the  boat ;  but  his  son,  who 
was  in  the  upper  range,  was  thrown  into  the  water  at  a  considerable 
distance,  and  was  ultimately  rescued  by  the  exertions  of  some  persons, 
who,  seeing  him  floating  on  the  current,  came  in  a  boat  from  the 
shore.  He  was  found  to  be  much  wounded  and  burned,  but  after  a 
confinement  of  several  weeks,  regained  his  health,  free  from  any 
permanent  injury.  The  body  of  Mr.  Johnston,  recovered  from  the 
waves,  was  interred  at  the  cemetery  opposite  to  the  village  of  Alex- 
andria, among  the  tears  of  those  who  regarded  him  as  much  with 
the  warm  attachment  of  private  friends,  as  with  the  respect  due  to 
his  public  services  and  worth.    The  sudden  termination  of  a  valuable 


JOSIAH   S.  JOHNSTON. 

life,  attended  with  incidents  so  shocking,  mnst,  under  any  circum- 
stances, have  created  no  common  sympathy.  But  it  may  be  said 
with  truth,  that  this  feeUng  was  displayed  in  a  degree  more  than 
usual,  in  the  present  instance.  Not  merely  among  those  who  were 
united  with  the  deceased  by  a  community  of  political  sentiment  or 
personal  relations— but  among  those  who  differed  from  him  in  the 
former,  and  who  knew  him  only  as  a  public  man— were  readily 
and  warmly  expressed  sincere  regrets  at  the  loss  which  all  had 
experienced.  In  the  usual  organs  of  public  sentiment,  this  was 
strongly  exhibited,  and  afforded  a  gratifying  proof  of  the  high  place 
in  o-eneral  esteem  which  may  be  secured  by  a  life  of  so  much 
industry  and  purity. 

The  character  of  Mr.  Johnston,  as  a  public  man,  maybe  gathered 
from  the  previous  sketch  of  his  life.     It  was  that  of  one  eminently 
practical,  well-informed,  useful,  and  straight-forward.      He  spared 
himself  no  personal  or  mental  labor,  in  thoroughly  understanding 
the  subjects  that  came  under  his  notice.     He  was  industrious  in 
attending  to  the  various  duties  that  were  intrusted  to  him,  and  his 
fidelity  to  his  constituents  is  best  proved  by  his  continued  popularity 
amid  the  various  changes  of  party.      On  the  topics  which  more 
especially  affected  the  prosperity  and  interests  of  the  community  he 
represented,  his  information  was  complete,  and  his  opinions  derived 
all  tlie  weight  to  which  this  circumstance  entitled  them.     To  ensure 
its  accuracy,  he  omitted  no  pains.     To  promote  what  he  believed  a 
true  policy,  he  spared  no  exertions.     On  the  floor  of  the  senate,  and 
in  the  chambers  of  its  committees,  he  was  prompt,  efficient,  and 
attentive.     He  suffered  no  occasion  to  be  lost,  when  his  individual 
aid  could  promote  the  cause  he  desired  to  advocate.     He  took  his 
stand  decidedly  in  the  political  contests  of  the  day,  and  on  the 
exertions  and  steadiness  of  no  one  could  his  friends  more  firmly 
rely.     But  he  did  it  with  no  selfish  views.     He  was  always  free 
from  the  suspicion  of  private  ends.     However  firm,  he  was  not  less 
disinterested ;  and  he  never  sought,  directly  or  indirectly,  those  objects 
of  personal  ambition,  which  it  is  hard  for  any  one,  moving  in  the 
scenes  and  contests  of  political  life,  not  to  desire.     His  principles 
were  the  result  of  his  deliberate  reflections,  and  throughout  life  were 
manfully  avowed  and  consistently  maintained.     He  did  not  aspire 
to  the  character  of  an  orator,  but  what  he  said  was  never  heard 
without  attention,  and  always  bore  strong  marks  of  tlie  clearness 
and  simplicity  of  liis  mind.     If  he  had,  in  his  active  career,  some- 
what neglected  those  studies  merely  literary,  in  which,  when  young, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

he  had  indulged  himself,  and  to  which,  in  moments  of  leisure,  he 
always  gladly  returned,  yet  his  speeches  evince  an  excellent  and 
cultivated  taste,  and  his  style  is  that  of  a  well  educated  and  well 
read  man.  To  these  qualities  as  a  politician,  should  be  added  yet 
another — the  kindness  of  his  disposition  and  the  mildness  of  his 
demeanor,  which,  while  not  interfering  with  his  firmness  and 
consistency,  yet  gave  him  an  influence  and  personal  consideration 
that  he  never  lost,  amid  all  the  warm  and  exciting  scenes  in  which 
he  was  called  on  to  engage. 

In  his  person,  Mr.  Johnston  was  rather  below  the  usual  height, 
but  his  figure  was  graceful,  and  his  countenance  strikingly  indica- 
tive of  his  calm  and  intelligent  character.     In  his  habits,  he  was 
social ;  fond  of  the  amusements  of  society,  and  deriving  constant 
enjoyment  from  an  agreeable   intercourse  with  the   world.      His 
manners  were  easy,  prepossessing,  and  unaffected  ;  his  conversation, 
various  and  gay.     There  was  a  warmth  and  a  singleness  of  purpose 
in  what  he  said  and  did,  which  won  the  regards  of  all  around.     As 
a  friend,  they  to  whom  he  was  attached  will  bear  testimony,  that  no 
human  being  ever  more  faithfully  cherished  and  performed  the  duties 
of  that  relation — no  sacrifice  of  his  time,  of  his  active  exertions,  or 
of  his  fortune,  was  spared — and  those  who  had  a  right  to  regard 
him  as  such,  knew,  absent  or  present,  that  he  was  never  found 
wanting  in  readiness,  fidelity,  and  zeal.     With  such  dispositions  it 
is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  that  in  discharging  his  domestic  duties, 
he  was  unsurpassed  in  excellence  and  purity.     As  a  husband,  a 
father,  a  brother,  and  a  son,  each  successive  year,  and  every  situation 
of  his  life,  seemed  to  afford  him  new  occasions  of  displaying  instances 
of  exemplary  conduct.     "What  wonder,  then,  if  a  fate  so  sudden 
should  be  more  than  commonly  deplored — if  private  sorrow  should 
be  deeply  blended  with  the  regret  which  was  widely  spread,  where 
he  was  only  known  for  his  public  services  and  worth.     If  there  has 
lived  a  man  to  whom  could  be  truly  applied  the  eloquent  and  affec- 
tionate tribute,  inscribed  by  the  poet  on  the  monument  of  his  friend, 
it  is  the  subject  of  this  notice. 

Statesman,  3'-et  friend  to  truth !  of  soul  sincere, 

In  action  faithful,  and  in  honor  clear  I 

Who  broke  no  promise,  served  no  private  end, 

Who  sought  no  title,  and  who  lost  no  friend  ; 

Ennobled  by  himself,  by  all  approved, 

Praised,  wept,  and  honored,  by  the  friends  he  loved. 

10 


r-njS^iave<i  Lv  £  "iVclln-.ore  ficiii  ■- 


mmw^mm  iLii'xfSDwc^^^- 


EDWARD     LIVINGSTON. 


Nothing  is  more  becoming  to  a  country,  or  affords  better  proof  of 
the  excellent  spirit  of  its  people,  than  to  find  the  reward  of  popular 
praise  and  popular  honors  bestowed  upon  those,  whose  labors  have 
been  guided  by  a  wise  philanthropy,  and  whose  objects  have  been 
the  welfare  and  improvement  of  mankind.  It  is,  therefore,  a  matter 
of  just  pride,  that  the  subject  of  the  present  notice  should  be  receiving 
from  his  countrymen,  as  age  steals  upon  his  active  career  of  useful- 
ness, fresh  proofs  of  their  confidence  and  respect. 

Edward  Livingston  was  born  in  the  year  1764,  at  Clermont, 
(Livingston's  manor,)  Columbia  county.  New  York.  His  education 
was  commenced  at  Albany,  and  continued  afterwards  at  a  grammar 
school  at  Esopus,  in  Ulster  county,  which,  on  the  destruction  of  that 
village  in  the  year  1777,  was  removed  to  the  neighboring  village  of 
Hurley.  At  this  school  he  was  prepared  for  the  junior  class  of 
Princeton  college,  which  he  entered  in  1779,  and  took  his  degrees 
two  years  afterwards.  The  period  was  the  most  unfortunate  for  the 
attainment  of  a  classical  or  scientific  education.  Frequent  incursions 
of  the  enemy  drove  the  professors  from  their  chairs.  The  spirit- 
stirring  incidents  of  the  time  made  the  students  more  anxious  to  join 
the  bands  hastily  summoned  for  defence,  than  to  seek  for  the  more 
modest  honors  of  literature ;  and  when,  as  happened  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  they  were  permitted  by  their  teachers  to  embody  them- 
selves in  a  little  company,  and  march  to  meet  the  enemy,  they 
returned  with  feelings  little  suited  to  the  calm  pursuits  of  a  college. 
Their  number  rapidly  became  very  small ;  the  library  was  scattered ; 
the  philosophical  apparatus  was  destroyed ;  and  the  college  building 
itself  was  shared  with  a  detachment  of  troops  quartered  in  the  town. 
Yet  under  all  these  disadvantages,  some,  at  that  period,  laid  the 
foundation  of  future  celebrity.  The  class  which  graduated  in  the 
year  1781,  consisted  but  of  four  young  men,  yet  of  these,  three 
met  twelve  or  thirteen  years  after,  as  members  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives of  the  United  States  ;  they  were  Mr.  Livingston,  Wil- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

liam  B.  Giles,  the  late  governor  of  Virginia,  and  Abraham  Venables, 
who  perished  in  the  dreadful  conflagration  at  Richmond.  The 
former  on  leaving  college,  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  at 
Albany,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Chancellor  Lansing,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  year  1785. 

From  this  period  until  1794,  Mr.  Livingston  was  employed  assi- 
duously in  the  practice  of  the  law.  When,  however,  the  constitution 
framed  by  the  national  convention  was  submitted  to  the  people,  he 
took  a  warm  part  in  the  question  of  its  establishment,  which  was 
more  zealously  opposed  in  New  York  than  in  any  other  state.  This 
circumstance,  joined  with  his  success  at  the  bar,  led  to  his  election, 
in  the  year  last  mentioned,  to  represent  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
the  counties  of  Queens  and  Richmond,  in  the  fourth  congress. 
The  whole  representation  of  the  state  consisted  at  that  time  of  ten 
members. 

The  public  career  of  Mr,  Livingston  during  the  succeeding  six 
years,  is  embraced  in  the  political  history  of  his  country.  He  was  a 
distinguished  and  leading  member  of  the  republican  party,  main- 
taining an  elevated  position  in  congress,  not  less  from  his  talents  than 
from  the  liberal  and  candid  spirit,  the  industry,  zeal,  and  philan- 
thropy which  he  displayed.  A  few  days  after  he  had  taken  his  seat, 
he  called  the  attention  of  the  house  to  the  existing  provisions  of  the 
criminal  code  of  the  United  States,  and  endeavored,  though  at  that 
time  without  effect,  to  reform  their  sanguinary  character,  and  adapt 
them  more  justly  to  the  nature  and  quality  of  offences.  He  intro- 
duced, and  after  repeated  efforts,  carried,  several  laws  for  the  protection 
and  relief  of  American  seamen  left  by  accident  or  misfortune  on 
foreign  shores.  He  ardently  promoted  the  establishment  and  gradual 
increase  of  the  navy,  and  he  supported  the  existing  government, 
though  opposed  to  its  general  policy,  in  every  measure  which  was 
necessary  to  sustain  the  honor,  or  protect  the  rights  of  the  country. 

It  was  at  the  commencement  of  one  of  the  sessions,  during  which 
Mr.  Livingston  sat  in  the  house  of  representatives,  that  General 
"Washington,  in  a  speech  to  congress,  referred  to  the  occasion  as  the 
last  on  which  he  should  meet  them,  and  the  address  which  it  was 
proposed  to  make  him  in  reply,  contained  some  remarks,  in  allusion 
to  this  circumstance,  which  led  to  an  animated  debate.  The  vote  of 
Mr.  Livingston,  on  that  occasion,  was  afterwards  represented  as 
evidence  of  hostility  to  General  Washington ;  but  he  fortunately 
survived  to  refute  the  unworthy  charge  on  the  floor  of  the  senate  of 
the  United  States,  with  an  eloquence  worthy  of  the  occasion,  and 


EDWARD  LIVINGSTON. 

with  a  feeling  natural  to  one  who  had  grown  up  in  admiration  of 
that  great  man,  and  who  had  seen  him  in  his  hours  of  peril  and 
triumph,  with  a  heart  filled  with  sentiments  of  sincere  veneration. 
It  was  indeed  shortly  after  this,  while  his  votes,  speeches,  and  conduct, 
were  fresh  in  the  recollection  of  his  constituents,  that  his  term  of 
service  expired,  and  he  was  reelected  by  an  increased  majority.     A 
man,  entertaining  the  sentiments  towards  Washington,  that  were 
ascribed  to  him,  would  not  have  received  the  votes  of  a  city,  where 
his  name  was  adored.     If  further  evidence  were  necessary,  it  is  found 
in  what  occurred  a  few  years  since.     Mr.  Livingston  was  selected, 
by  the  veteran  relics  of  the  revolutionary  war,  the  chosen  compa- 
nions in  arms  of  their  venerated  commander,  the  New- York  Society 
of  Cincinnati,  as  one  of  the  very  few  honorary  members  on  whom 
the  distinction  has  been  bestowed.     The  venerable  remnant  of  the 
friends  and  companions  of  Washington,  associated  under  his  auspices 
for  the  purpose  of  cherishing  the  friendships  contracted  during  the 
contest  he  so  gloriously  conducted,  and  watching  over  his  fame,  so 
inseparably  connected  with  their  own,  would  not  have  conferred  that 
distinction  on  one,  who  had,  at  any  period  of  his  life,  shown  himself 
his  enemy  or  detractor. 

After  the  close  of  the  session  of  Congress,  in  the  spring  of  1801, 
Mr.  Livingston  declined  a  reelection,  determined  to  devote  himself 
exclusively  to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
He  had  not,  however,  long  retired  from  public  life,  when  he  was 
appointed  by  the  president  to  the  honorable  post  of  attorney  of  the 
United  States  for  New  York,  and  he  was  elected  about  the  same  time 
mayor  of  the  city.  This  office,  which  he  held  upwards  of  two  years, 
then  required  high  judicial  as  well  as  executive  talents.  He  devoted 
himself  to  its  duties  with  the  industry  and  zeal  which  have  always 
marked  his  character,  and  he  was  called  upon  to  add  to  these,  the 
active  exercise  of  those  benevolent  feelings  by  which  he  has  ever  been 
equally  distinguished.  In  1803,  the  city  was  afflicted  by  a  desolating 
pestilence  ;  many  of  the  inhabitants  fled  in  dismay,  and  death  fright- 
fully extended  its  ravages  among  those  who  remained.  Mr.  Living- 
ston never  for  a  moment  deserted  his  post,  but  he  sacrificed  his  own 
comforts,  and  fearlessly  endangered  his  own  life,  in  his  unremitted 
cares  to  lessen  the  calamity  that  had  befallen  his  fellow-citizens.  He 
was  at  last  attacked  himself  by  the  pestilence,  and  reduced  to  the 
point  of  death.  On  recovering  from  his  illness,  and  resuming,  as 
soon  as  he  was  able,  that  attention  to  his  private  concerns  which  he 
had  been  obliged  to  neglect,  he  found  them  greatly  deranged ;  he 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

had  been  unable,  particularly,  to  give  the  strict  attention  necessary 
to  a  proper  scrutiny  into  the  conduct  of  persons  whom  he  had 
intrusted  with  the  collection  of  debts,  due  to  the  United  States,  and 
he  found  himself  suddenly  and  unjustly  subjected  to  heavy  respon- 
sibilities. Under  these  circumstances,  he  did  not  hesitate  as  to  the 
course  he  was  to  pursue.  He  immediately  resigned  the  offices  which 
he  held.  He  determined  to  remove  to  Louisiana,  and  there,  suc- 
ceeding in  the  great  object  for  which  he  did  so,  he  was,  as  he  expected, 
enabled,  by  the  arduous  pursuit  of  his  profession,  to  discharge  the 
debt  in  which  he  had  been  involved,  with  interest  to  the  last  farthing. 
As  soon  as  his  difficulties  and  embarrassments  became  known  to  his 
fellow-citizens,  and  his  intention  to  leave  New  York  was  declared,  he 
received  renewed  testimonials  of  public  respect.  The  venerable 
George  Clinton,  then  governor  of  the  state,  addressed  him  a  compli- 
mentary letter,  expressing  his  regret ;  and  the  common  council  of 
New  York  unanimously  presented  him  an  address,  which  describes, 
in  the  most  warm  and  affectionate  language,  their  sense  of  his 
services  and  devotion,  their  high  estimate  of  his  abilities  and  integrity, 
their  deep  regret  at  his  departure  from  among  them,  and  their  prayers 
for  his  prosperity  and  happiness. 

In  February,  1804,  Mr.  Livingston  arrived  at  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana,  having  then  been  lately  transferred  to  the  United  States, 
pursuant  to  the  treaty  negotiated  by  his  brother,  Chancellor  Living- 
ston. Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  was  called  on  by  some  of  the 
principal  inhabitants  to  prepare  a  memorial  to  congress,  stating  their 
dissatisfaction  at  being  kept  in  what  they  considered  a  state  of 
vassalage,  under  the  first  degree  of  territorial  government,  instead  of 
being  admitted  into  the  union,  as  the  treaty  provided  they  should  be, 
on  the  footing  of  an  independent  state.  This  paper  attracted  much 
attention  at  the  time,  though  it  did  not  produce  the  effect  which  was 
desired.  After  Mr.  Livingston  had  resided  some  years  at  New 
Orleans,  his  fortune  was  injured  by  a  controversy,  which  has  become 
well  Imown,  from  the  important  principles  it  involved,  and  the  ability 
with  which  they  were  discussed.  Mr.  Jefferson,  then  president  of 
the  United  States,  deceived  by  misrepresentations  of  fact,  and  enter- 
taining a  most  erroneous  opinion  of  his  official  powers,  committed  a 
violent  invasion  on  the  private  property  of  Mr.  Livingston,  which 
produced  the  Batture  question,  the  controversy  alluded  to.  This 
deprived  him  of  an  immense  property,  the  result  of  his  professional 
labors,  and  involved  him  for  many  years  in  most  expensive  litigation. 
The  merits  of  the  subject  have  been  long  before  the  public,  in  a  pam- 


EDWARD  LIVINGSTON. 

phlet  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  the  answer  of  Mr.  Livingston,  which  last 
was  truly  termed  an  answer  to  which  no  reply  could  be  made.  None 
was  made.  The  legal  decision  was  in  his  favor,  and  the  controversy 
ended  honorably  to  both  parties; — to  Mr.  Livingston,  in  his  for- 
giveness of  the  injury ;  to  his  distinguished  adversary,  in  the  more 
difficult,  and  more  meritorious  task,  if  the  maxim  be  true,  of  forgiving 
the  man  he  had  injured. 

Mr.  Livingston  pursued  his  professional  duties  without  inter- 
ruption, until  the  invasion  of  Louisiana  by  the  British.  As  soon  as 
he  learned  that  General  Jackson  was  appointed  to  the  military 
command  of  the  district,  he  wrote  to  him  and  offered  his  services  as 
an  aid,  or  in  any  other  capacity  in  which  they  might  be  considered 
useful.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  as  soon  as  the  general  arrived 
at  New  Orleans,  he  joined  his  family,  and  continued  with  him  during 
the  short  but  glorious  campaign.  During  this  eventful  period,  he 
was  employed  on  several  important  missions,  and  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence of  the  general.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  received  from  him 
the  most  flattering  testimonials  of  that  regard  which  has  since  been 
more  signally  evinced.  When,  shortly  afterwards,  the  well  known 
arrest  of  General  Jackson  occurred,  and  he  appeared  before  the  court 
to  account,  or  atone  for  breaches  of  the  municipal  laws,  which,  neces- 
sity had  obliged  him  to  commit,  for  the  preservation  of  the  country ; 
his  written  defence,  remarkable  for  the  eloquence  and  simplicity  of 
its  style,  and  for  the  clear  and  vigorous  view  of  the  circumstances 
and  the  law  which  it  presents,  was  prepared  and  submitted  by  Mr. 
Livingston,  who  acted  as  his  counsel  on  the  occasion. 

But  the  services  of  Mr.  Livingston  to  his  adopted  state  were 
destined  to  be  of  a  character  even  more  important  and  enduring,  than 
a  participation  in  the  gallant  military  exploits  by  which  she  was 
defended  and  saved.  When  he  first  arrived  there,  he  had  found  the 
jurisprudence  of  the  province  in  a  state  of  extreme  confusion.  Judges 
from  the  United  States,  were  appointed  to  administer  laws  written  in 
a  language  they  did  not  understand,  and  according  to  forms  of  which 
they  were  entirely  ignorant.  The  legislative  power  was  incompe- 
tent to  provide  a  remedy,  and  even  had  it  been,  it  was  entrusted  to 
men,  who,  though  highly  respectable,  were  unused  to  such  duties. 
It  soon  became  essential,  therefore,  that,  although  the  body  of  laws 
could  not  be  at  once  changed,  a  mode  of  procedure  under  them  should 
be  established.  Mr.  Livingston,  and  Mr.  James  Brown,  since  well 
known  as  a  senator  from  Louisiana,  and  an  able  representative  of 
the  United  States  to  France,  Avere  requested  to  perform  this  duty. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Discarding  alike  the  fictions  and  technicalities  of  the  common  law, 
and  the  prolixity  of  the  Spanish  code,  they  prepared  a  simple,  cheap, 
expeditious,  and  intelligible  mode  of  conducting  suits.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  defeat  it,  which  was  chiefly  sustained  by  those  members 
of  the  bar,  who  had  become  accustomed  to  the  modes  of  legal  prac- 
tice in  other  states.  They  endeavored,  by  taking  advantage  of  an 
equivocal  expression  in  the  ordinance,  organizing  the  government  of 
the  new  territory,  to  establish  the  system  prescribed  by  the  English 
common  law.  Their  attempt  was  successfully  resisted  by  Mr.  Li- 
vingston and  Mr.  Brown,  though  manifestly  against  their  own 
interest.  They  saw  that  the  tranquillity  of  the  country  would  have 
been  endangered,  by  imposing  on  the  people,  a  law  at  once  so  complex 
and  so  diff^erent  from  that  under  which  they  had  lived.  The  legis- 
lative council  adopted  their  views,  their  system  of  procedure  was 
introduced,  and  it  has  ever  since  stood  the  test  of  experience. 

The  system  of  municipal  law  which  had  continued  in  use,  since 
the  cession  of  the  province,  consisted  for  the  most  part,  of  a  digest 
chiefly  compiled  from  the  Napoleon  code,  but  it  was  found  to  want 
so  much  amendment,  that  in  the  year  1820  the  legislature  determined 
on  its  complete  revision,  and  appointed  Mr.  Livingston,  and  Mr. 
Derbigny,  and  Mr.  Moreau,  a  commission  to  execute  it.  This  was 
a  laborious  task,  and  too  little  time  was  allowed  for  its  execution.  It 
was,  however,  completed  in  1823,  and  submitted  to  the  legislature, 
by  whom  it  was  adopted,  with  the  exception  of  the  commercial  code, 
to  some  of  the  provisions  of  which,  opposition  was  made.  In  this 
arduous  duty,  the  well  known  industry  of  Mr.  Livingston  gives 
assurance  that  he  took  his  full  share,  and  the  whole  title  of  "  obliga- 
tions" is  said  to  be  exclusively  his.  He  was,  however,  at  the  same 
period,  engaged  in  a  work  of  at  least  equal  importance,  with  which 
he  was  solely  charged.  Having,  a  few  years  before,  introduced  into 
the  state  legislature,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  a  bill  for  preparing 
a  system  of  penal  law  for  the  state,  he  was  himself  elected  by  that 
body,  in  1821,  to  perform  this  arduous  and  responsible  duty.  The 
following  year  he  presented  a  report,  containing  a  plan  of  a  penal 
code,  and  specimens  of  its  execution.  These  were  unanimously 
approved,  and  he  was  earnestly  requested  to  finish  it.  Thus  encou- 
raged, he  devoted  himself  to  the  task,  and  as  early  as  the  autumn  of 
1824,  notwithstanding  his  very  extensive  professional  engagements, 
and  the  share  he  took  in  the  labor  of  preparing  the  civil  code,  he  had 
ready  for  the  press,  the  whole  system  of  penal  law.  It  consisted  of 
a  code  of  crimes  and  punishments,  a  code  of  criminal  procedure,  a 


EDWARD  LIVINGSTON. 

code  of  evidence,  a  code  of  reform  and  prison  discipline,  and  a  book 
of  definitions,  together  with  introdnctory  reports  to  each,  pointing 
out  the  changes  made  in  existing  laws,  the  new  enactments  proposed, 
and  the  principles  and  reasons  on  which  they  were  founded.  Having 
received  authority  to  print  it,  for  submission  to  the  legislature,  he 
had  caused  a  fair  copy  to  be  made.  Before  it  was  delivered  to  the 
printer,  anxious  that  no  errors  might  remain  in  it,  he  passed  a  great 
part  of  the  night,  in  comparing  it  himself  with  the  original  draught. 
He  went  to  bed  at  a  late  hour,  with  the  pleasing-  reflection  of  havinsr 
finished  a  most  laborious  task.  Not  long  afterwards  he  was  awa- 
kened by  a  cry  of  fire,  which  was  found  to  proceed  from  the  room 
where  his  papers  had  been  left.  They  were  all  consumed.  Not  a 
note  or  memorandum  was  saved.  Though  stunned  at  first  by  the 
sudden  misfortune,  his  equanimity  and  industry  soon  led  him  to 
repair  it.  Before  the  close  of  the  same  day,  he  quietly  commenced 
the  task  of  re-composition ;  and,  in  two  years  afterwards,  he  presented 
his  work  to  the  legislature  of  Louisiana,  in  a  shape  more  perfect  than 
that  in  which  it  originally  was.  It  has  not  yet  been  acted  upon  by 
that  body,  but  the  philanthropist  and  the  jurist  must  look  with  equal 
anxiety  and  interest  to  its  adoption.  The  beauty  of  its  arrangement, 
the  wisdom  of  its  provisions,  the  simplicity  of  its  forms,  and  the 
clearness  of  its  language,  equal,  but  do  not  surpass,  the  philanthropy, 
the  wise  views  of  human  character,  the  knowledge  of  social  inter- 
course, and  the  insight  into  the  sources  of  happiness  and  misery,  by 
all  of  which  it  is  distinguished,  far  beyond  any  similar  system  of 
criminal  law,  that  has  emanated  from  the  jurists  of  any  age  or 
country.  To  those  who  have  made  penal  jurisprudence  their  study, 
and  who  have  examined  and  reflected  on,  not  merely  the  codes,  but 
the  admirable  introductory  reports  by  which  they  are  preceded,  this 
praise  will  not  appear  exaggerated.  Whatever  may  be  the  fame  of 
Mr.  Livingston,  as  a  statesman  or  an  advocate,  whatever  reputation 
his  patriotic  and  his  professional  exertions  may  gain  for  him,  among 
his  own  countrymen,  this  great  work  will  secure  to  him  enduring 
honor,  wherever  the  cause  of  philanthropy  is  cherished,  and  wher- 
ever men  exist  who  love  and  admire  just  and  simple  laws. 

More  than  twenty  years  had  now  elapsed  since  Mr.  Livingston 
had  deserted  the  scenes  of  political  life.  He  had  arrived  at  an  age 
when  most  men  are  desirous  to  leave  it  altogether ;  but  being  chosen 
by  the  people  of  Louisiana  to  represent  them  in  congress,  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  that  body  in  the  month  of  December,  1823.  He 
no  longer  desired  to  assume  the  active  position  he  had  formerly  held. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

He  was  a  less  frequent  speaker;  but  he  nevertheless  originated 
several  important  measures,  and  engaged  in  the  debates  on  many 
that  were  brought  forward  by  others. 

In  1829,  he  was  elected  by  the  legislature  of  Louisiana  to  represent 
the  state  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  and  he  there  introduced 
and  carried  several  measures  of  extensive  and  permanent  benefit  to  his 
country.  On  all  questions  of  general  policy  ;  on  all  such  as  related 
to  the  exercise  of  constitutional  powers,  or  to  the  development  of 
great  principles  of  legislation,  he  was  listened  to  with  the  confidence 
and  respect  which  were  yielded,  not  less  to  his  well  established  abili- 
ties and  extensive  knowledge,  than  to  the  simplicity,  the  dignity,  and 
the  patriotism  that  marked  his  character  and  actions.  His  speech 
on  the  celebrated  resolution  of  Mr.  Foote,  relative  to  the  public 
lands,  is  certainly  among  the  most  eloquent  and  able  that  were 
delivered  on  that  occasion ;  and  it  is  peculiarly  interesting,  from  the 
view  it  presents  of  the  principles  on  which  the  great  party  distinc- 
tions of  the  people  of  the  United  States  were  originally  fomided ;  of 
the  comparative  powers  and  duties  of  the  diiferent  branches  of  the 
government ;  and  especially  of  the  relations,  which,  by  the  constitu- 
tion, ought  to  exist  between  the  government  and  the  states.  The 
views  he  adopted  were  shown  to  be  those,  which,  from  the  earliest 
periods  of  the  government,  had  been  acted  upon  and  supported  by 
his  political  friends. 

In  the  spring  of  1831,  Mr.  LivincxSTon  was  called  by  the  president 
to  fill  the  honorable  post  of  secretary  of  state.  His  course  there  is 
of  too  recent  a  date,  and  his  duties  were  necessarily  of  a  character 
too  confidential,  to  be  perfectly  known,  or  to  be  publicly  discussed  if 
they  were  known.  We  believe,  however,  that  it  may  be  said,  with 
propriety  and  truth,  that  the  offer  of  the  first  place  in  his  cabinet, 
when  made  by  General  Jackson  to  Mr.  Livingston,  was  as  unex- 
pected as  it  was  unsolicited ;  and  that  he  hesitated  for  some  time 
before  he  accepted  it.  With  the  modesty  and  unaffected  diffidence 
which  are  striking  traits  of  his  character,  he  distrusted  his  ability  to 
perform  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  in  comparing  his  own  talents 
with  those  of  some  of  the  distinguished  men  who  had  preceded  him, 
in  the  same  station,  he  was  for  a  while  inclined  to  doubt  the  wisdom 
of  embarking  in  the  same  career.  Such,  however,  was  not  the  senti- 
ment of  his  fellow-citizens.  Their  anticipations  of  his  course  were 
the  reverse  of  his  own,  and  they  proved  to  be  more  just.  No  act  of 
the  president  was  hailed  with  more  satisfaction  by  the  country,  none 
has  been  attended  with  more  advantage  to  its  prosperity,  its  interests, 


EDWARD  LIVINGSTON. 

and  its  fame.     All  the  public  documents  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Living- 
ston, having  reference  to  the  foreign  relations  of  the  United  States, 
present  a  clear  view  of  those  interesting  concerns.     The  instructions 
under  which  the  treaty  with  Naples  was  formed,  have  been  already- 
published  by  order  of  congress,  and  in  their  energetic  tenor  and 
unanswerable  reasoning  are  found  prominent  causes  for  the  success 
of  the  negotiations  with  that  government,  and  for  the  conclusion  of 
the  treaty  by  which  the  claims  of  our  merchants  were  so  amply 
recognized.     While  he  remained  in  the  department  of  state,  instruc- 
tions were  given  to  our  ministers  at  London,  Paris,  St.  Petersburg, 
Lisbon,  the  Hague,  Mexico,  and  the  South  American  states,  on  all 
the  important  points  of  discussion  between  those  governments  and  our 
own ;  and  when  these  documents  shall  be  made  public,  it  will  no 
doubt  be  found,  that  in  clear  language,  in  political  wisdom,  and  in 
enlightened  spirit,  they  will  redound  as  much  to  the  honor  of  the 
administration  to  which  they  belong,  as  any  of  the  various  state  papers 
of  which  the  American  people  are  so  justly  proud.     Just  before  Mr. 
Livingston  left  the  department,  he  negotiated  and  signed  a  treaty 
with  the  minister  of  Belgium,  and  he  exchanged  with  the  minister 
of  Russia,  the  ratification  of  another  previously  made,  under  his 
instructions,  at  St.  Petersburg.    In  all  these  negotiations,  he  is  under- 
stood to  have  been  particularly  anxious  to  introduce  stipulations  which 
will  ameliorate  the  intercourse  between  nations,  in  a  degree  corres- 
ponding with  the   improvement  of  the  times;    to  extend,  advan- 
tageously, our  commerce  with  remote  nations;  and  to  obtain  new 
fields  for  American  enterprise,  the  results  of  which  will  be  found 
highly  beneficial  when  they  are  more  fully  developed  and  known. 
In  the  same  spirit  which  governed  him  in  these  negotiations,  were 
his  reports  made  to  congress  on  our  diplomatic  establishments,  and 
on  the  regulation  of  our  consulates  abroad ;  all  containing  recom- 
mendations eminently  deserving  attentive  consideration,  and  calcu- 
lated to  contribute  not  less  to  our  interests,  than  our  national  honor. 
In  those  measures  of  the  government,  which  belonged   less   to  a 
particular  department,  than  to  the  general  policy  of  the  administra- 
tion, the  abilities  and  experience  of  Mr.  Livingston  could  not  fail  to 
render  him  an  able  counsellor,  and  secure  for  him  unlimited  respect 
and  confidence.      When  the  president  adopted  the   resolute   and 
patriotic  course  of  issuing  his  proclamation  relative  to  the  proceedings 
of  South  Carolina,  it  is  well  understood  that  he  met  with  the  undi- 
vided assent  of  his  cabinet ;  if,  therefore,  public  opinion  has  assigned 
to  Mr.  Livingston,  more  than  his  share  in  that  measure,  it  has 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

probably  been  guided  by  the  similarity  of  the  views,  taken  on  this 
occasion,  with  those  declared  by  him  in  his  remarks  in  the  senate, 
on  the  resolution  of  Mr.  Foote,  to  which  we  have  already  referred ; 
or  perhaps  to  the  well  known  fact,  that  his  sentiments  coincide 
entirely  with  the  doctrines  so  admirably  expressed  in  that  celebrated 
instrument. 

On  the  reelection  of  General  Jackson,  in  1833,  Mr.  Livingston 
retired  from  the  department  of  state,  and  accepted  the  honorable  but 
less  laborious  office,  which  was  tendered  to  him  by  the  president,  of 
minister  to  France — an  office  in  which  his  brother.  Chancellor  Li- 
vingston, had  previously  acquired  a  distinguished  reputation ;  and 
which  he  probably  accepted  with  more  gratification  from  this 
circumstance,  as  well  as  from  having  unexpectedly  received  about 
the  same  time,  the  highest  testimonials  of  respect  and  honor,  from 
the  most  distinguished  literary  and  scientific  institutions  of  that 
country. 

On  the  private  character  of  Mr.  Livingston,  we  have  not  space 
to  dwell.  The  nature  of  his  public  course  evinces  its  benevolence 
and  modesty ;  nor  do  his  writings  display  in  their  admirable  simpli- 
city, in  the  beauty  of  their  language,  and  in  their  classical  taste, 
more  of  the  accomplishments  of  a  scholar,  than,  in  the  purity  of 
their  precepts  and  their  anxious  search  for  truth,  they  exhibit  a  heart 
filled  with  the  best  emotions,  and  animated  with  strong  desires  for 
the  happiness  and  improvement  of  mankind. 

10 


En<iravedb\'T  Kelly  from  apamtiaj^bvG  S  Newton. 


LOUIS      McLANE. 


Honor  and  fame  are  the  lesfitimate  reward  of  virtue  and  talent. 
Like  wealth,  they  may  be  sometimes  unworthily  and  sometimes  un- 
wisely bestowed  ;  but  when  yielded  to  merit  or  won  by  industry, 
they  hang  like  a  graceful  robe  on  their  wearer,  imparting  dignity 
and  commanding  respect.  Beneficently  placed  within  the  reach  of 
all,  they  appear  like  trophies  to  be  won  and  worn  by  those  who 
successfully  contend  against  indolence  and  vice ;  and  it  is  of  rare 
occurrence  in  the  history  of  any  country,  that  superior  mental 
attainments,  in  alliance  with  moral  worth,  judiciously  directed  and 
actively  employed,  have  failed  in  their  attainment.  A  new  attesta- 
tion of  this  universal  truth  will  be  found  in  this  memoir. 

Louis  McLane  is  a  son  of  the  late  Allan  McLane,  a  gallant  and 
distinguished  oiRcer  in  the  revolutionary  war.  He  was  born  May 
,28th,  1786,  at  the  village  of  Smyrna,  Kent  county,  Delaware.  In- 
heriting his  father's  enterprise  and  patriotic  spirit,  his  attachment  to 
the  military  profession  exhibited  itself  at  a  very  early  period.  In 
1798,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  obtained  a  midshipman's  war- 
rant, and  was  ordered  to  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  about  to  sail  on 
her  first  cruise,  under  the  command  of  Stephen  Decatur,  the  father 
of  the  renowned  and  lamented  commodore  of  that  name.  During 
this  cruise,  which  continued  nearly  twelve  months,  he  is  said  to 
have  displayed  courage  and  enterprise  beyond  his  years :  but  the 
anticipation  of  a  brilliant  career  in  the  service  was  disappointed  by 
his  resignation,  on  his  return  to  the  United  States,  in  1801,  in 
consequence  of  the  earnest  entreaties  of  his  mother  that  he  would 
select  another  profession.  From  the  moment  when  his  mind 
received  this  new  direction,  he  applied  himself  indefatigably  to^  the 
acquisition  of  knowledge ;  and  having  completed  his  education  at 
the  college  of  Newark,  in  the  state  of  Delaware,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  the  law  in  1804,  in  the  oiRce  of  the  late  James  A.  Bayard. 
The  regard  and  confidence  of  that  eminent  jurist  and  statesman 
were  gradually  won  and  cemented  by  the  talents  and  assiduity  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

his  pupil,  and  a  friendship  was  formed  which  terminated  only  with 
the  life  of  the  instructor.  Mr.  McLane  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Newcastle  in  November,  1807.  Here  his  knowledge  and  capacity 
as  a  counsellor,  and  his  eloquence  and  fidelity  as  an  advocate,  at 
once  rendered  him  conspicuous ;  and  the  consequent  influx  of 
extensive  engagements  in  the  most  important  causes,  soon  elevated 
him  to  the  first  eminence  in  his  profession; — a  profession  at  that  time 
embracing  such  men  as  Bayard,  Rodney,  Read,  Vandyke,  and  others 
of  a  high  order  of  intellect. 

The  capacity  of  Mr.  McLane  as  a  public  speaker,  the  quickness 
and  perspicuity  of  his  mind,  his  accurate  and  comprehensive  per- 
ceptions, and  his  great  power  of  argument,  combined  with  that 
honorable  and  elevated  cast  of  character  for  which  he  has  been 
uniformly  distinguished,  enabled  him  not  only  to  reach,  but  perma- 
nently to  maintain,  the  highest  rank  at  the  bar  of  his  native  state, 
and  to  secure  to  himself,  in  an  eminent  degree,  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  colleagues  and  fellow  citizens  throughout  the  state. 
His  personal  happiness  received  a  great  addition  about  this  period, 
by  his  intermarriage,  in  the  year  1812,  with  the  eldest  daughter  of 
the  late  Robert  Milligan. 

Mr.  McLane  was  brought  up  in  the  political  school  of  Washing- 
ton, and  commenced  his  career  as  a  member  of  the  party  of  which 
that  great  man  was  the  head,  and  from  which  the  temptations  of 
ambition  have  never  induced  him  to  separate.  Though  he  may 
have  embraced  the  principles  of  that  school  under  the  influence  of 
early  associations — his  gallant  father  and  his  enlightened  instructer 
beins:  amonof  its  members — he  adhered  to  them  under  the  conscien- 
tious  conviction  that  they  were  identified  with  the  best  interests  of 
the  people.  He  was  a  patriot,  and  not  a  partisan — looking  to  the 
ag-CTresrate  of  measures,  or  to  motives  and  results  of  the  whole,  rather 
than  of  a  part. 

The  last  war  found  him  in  full  professional  practice  ;  and  although 
his  political  friends  had  opposed  the  war  as  premature,  yet,  no  sooner 
had  it  been  declared,  than  he  cordially  joined  in  its  support,  and  at 
a  great  sacrifice  of  his  private  interests,  embarked  in  the  contest 
personally,  and  without  emolument.  Fortifications  being  considered 
necessary  for  the  defence  of  his  town,  he  contributed  his  own  manual 
labor  to  their  erection ;  and  yielding  offices  to  those  who  preferred 
their  tranquil  and  lucrative  enjoyment  to  the  sure  peril  and  doubtful 
glory  of  conflict,  he  literally  shouldered  his  musket,  and  went  into 
the  ranks  as  a  private.     As  a  member  of  a  volunteer  company,  com- 


LOUIS  McLANE. 

manded  by  the  late  Csesar  A.  Rodney,  (attorney  general  of  the  United 
States  under  Mr.  JefFerson's  administration,)  he  marched  with  his 
comrades  when  they  tendered  their  services  for  the  defence  of  Balti- 
more, until  they  were  checked  in  their  progress  at  Elkton,  by  the 
information  that  their  aid  was  not  desired.  The  example  and  exer- 
tions of  Mr.  McLane  on  this  occasion  had  an  important  influence 
in  reconciling  party  opposition,  and  producing,  among  all  classes  of 
his  fellow  citizens,  union  and  energy  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war, 
and  in  support  of  the  government.  In  July,  1813,  he  was  selected  to 
deliver  an  oration  to  his  company,  in  the  presence  of  a  numerous  and 
judicious  auditory,  and  the  chivalrous  and  patriotic  spirit  which 
breathed  throughout  the  whole  of  this  production,  established  his 
reputation  as  a  sound  orator  and  a  good  citizen. 

Mr.  McLane  was  elected,  in  1816,  to  represent  the  people  of  the 
state  of  Delaware  in  the  congress  of  the  United  States.  This  high 
tribute  to  his  merits,  so  gratifying  to  its  object,  and  so  honorable  to 
the  discrimination  of  those  who  conferred  it,  placed  him  at  once  in 
a  station  in  which  his  labors  were  to  assume  a  more  national  cha- 
racter, his  intellectual  powers  to  range  through  a  wider  expanse,  and 
his  purposes  and  his  fame  to  be  developed  for  other  times.  He  was 
now  called  to  contend  in  that  more  spacious  and  splendid  field,  in 
the  conflicts  of  which  the  interests  of  millions  are  involved,  and  where 
the  decisions  of  an  individual  may  become  the  edicts  of  a  country, 
and  fix  the  destiny  of  a  generation. 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1817,  being  the  commencement  of  the 
first  session  of  the  fifteenth  congress,  Mr.  McLane  took  his  seat  in  the 
house  of  representatives,  of  which  body  he  continued  to  be  a  mem- 
ber until  the  termination  of  the  nineteenth  congress,  in  the  spring  of 
1827.  His  course  as  a  legislator  was  manly,  liberal,  and  patriotic. 
As  an  expositor  of  the  constitution,  his  constructions  were  the  result 
of  a  close  examination  of  the  views  of  its  framers,  and  of  those  who 
were  contemporary  with  the  period  of  its  adoption,  and  a  comparison 
of  those  views  with  the  impressions  of  his  own  mind  and  the  deduc- 
tions of  his  own  judgment.  In  the  practical  application  of  its  doc- 
trines, he  sought  for  the  rule  of  his  decision  in  that  nice  adjustment 
of  leo-islative  action  to  the  wants  of  the  people  which  would  produce 
the  greatest  possible  result  of  general  prosperity.  Against  all  propo- 
sitions involving  unnecessary  or  exorbitant  expenditures,  his  vote 
stands  on  record  in  the  journals  of  the  house.  When  he  entered 
congress,  the  heavy  debt  which  had  been  contracted  during  the  war 
absorbed  a  great  portion  of  the  public  revenue,  and  he  was  one  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

those  who  sedulously  labored  for  the  diminution  of  this  burden  upon 
the  resources  of  his  country.  But  the  policy  of  preparation  in  peace 
for  the  contingency  of  war,  which  he  considered  scarcely  of  less  im- 
portance than  the  discharge  of  the  public  debt  with  as  much  rapidity 
as  the  depression  of  the  national  energies  would  permit,  led  him  at 
the  same  time  to  promote  all  those  objects  which  looked  to  the  more 
effectual  security  of  the  country  against  future  aggression.  The  last 
few  years  had  been  fruitful  in  bitter  experience.  He  had  seen  the 
public  coffers  exhausted  and  the  various  sources  of  revenue  drained, 
in  consequence  of  the  absence  of  those  facilities  of  transportation, 
which,  by  a  wise  and  timely  system  of  precaution,  might  be  provided, 
against  any  recurrence  of  events  inauspicious  to  the  public  tran- 
quillity ;  and  he  became  the  advocate  of  such  measures  as  would  put 
the  country  in  that  attitude  which  would  hereafter  render  defence 
less  costly  and  more  efiectual.  To  this  cause  may  be  ascribed  his 
support  of  those  measures  of  internal  improvement  which  contem- 
plated a  channel  of  intercourse  between  the  north  and  the  south, 
through  the  interior  of  the  country,  by  which  men  and  the  muni- 
tions of  war  could  be  conveyed  to  any  important  point  of  operations, 
without  the  danger  of  hostile  interruption.  Looking  to  the  same 
objects  he  also  sustained,  on  the  floor  of  congress  as  well  as  in  the 
committee  room,  that  more  expensive  and  yet  more  necessary 
branch  of  the  great  scheme  of  national  defence,  which  embraced  the 
erection  of  fortresses  at  those  points  where  the  principal  rivers  dis- 
charge themselves  into  the  Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The 
records  of  the  parliamentary  eloquence  of  that  period  amply  deve- 
lop Mr.  McLane's  views  on  these  interesting  subjects,  and  testify  the 
soundness  of  his  constitutional  constructions,  the  sincerity  of  his 
patriotism,  the  breadth  of  his  political  forecast,  the  boldness  of  his 
conceptions,  and  the  loftiness  of  his  elocution.  While  it  is  due  to 
Mr.  McLane  to  exhibit  him  in  his  legislative  career  as  the  steady 
advocate  of  the  policy  of  internal  improvement,  so  far  as  it  was  con- 
nected with  the  scheme  of  public  defence,  it  is  equally  just  to  his 
discrimination  that  he  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  supporters 
of  every  project,  local  in  its  advantages  and  limited  in  its  extent. 
Between  the  high  purposes  of  public  defence  and  national  security, 
and  the  interested  projects  of  individuals  for  sectional  objects,  he 
boldly  planted  his  foot ;  and  resisted  every  application  to  congress  to 
dispense  the  public  funds  for  the  advancement  of  personal,  corporate, 
and  local  views,  while  any  portion  of  the  public  debt  remained  un- 
satisfied. 


LOUIS  McLANE. 

The  pendency  of  the  celebrated  Missouri  question,  and  the  legis- 
lation in  reference  to  the  admission  of  that  state  into  the  union, 
invested  the  proceedings  of  the  sixteenth  congress  with  an  extraor- 
dinary interest.  The  discussion  of  the  restriction  of  the  new  state 
on  the  subject  of  slavery  shook  the  walls  of  the  capitol,  and  agi- 
tated the  whole  circle  of  the  union.  In  a  crisis  of  such  difficulty 
and  peril,  Mr.  McLane  selected  a  course  which  attested  the  vigorous 
and  manly  structure  of  his  mind.  On  the  one  hand  he  was  strongly 
assailed  by  the  prejudices  of  his  constituents,  prejudices  deeply 
rooted  and  sincere,  and  consequently  deserving  and  demanding  the 
utmost  respect  and  consideration.  The  convictions  of  his  own 
mind,  on  the  other  hand,  impelled  him  to  yield  obedience  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  constitution  as  paramount  to  all  other  authorities,  and 
to  adopt  the  guidance  of  his  own  conscience  in  their  application. 
His  difficulties  were  at  this  moment  increased,  %  instructions  from 
the  legislature  of  his  state  to  vote  in  favor  of  restricting  the  new 
state  from  permitting  the  existence  of  slavery  within  its  lin:iits.  To 
vote  against  restriction,  therefore,  was  to  place  himself  in  opposition 
to  the  opinions  of  those  who  had  elected  him  ;  a  position  not  to  be 
taken  without  a  solemn  conviction  that  it  was  required  by  a  higher 
obligation  than  that  of  obedience  to  the  constituent  authority.  The 
oath  which  he  had  taken  to  support  the  constitution,  according  to 
his  reading  of  the  fundamental  charter,  prescribed  a  course  contrary 
to  that  which  was  marked  out  by  the  legislature.  Thus,  submission 
to  his  instructions  involved  a  violation  of  his  oath,  while  the  man- 
date of  his  oath  prohibited  a  compliance  with  his  mstructions.  As 
the  most  imperative  of  the  conflicting  obligations,  he  yielded  to  his 
oath ;  and  on  the  issue  which  he  thus  made  up  with  his  constituents, 
staked  his  immediate  popularity  and  his  future  fortunes.  That  in 
this  decision  he  exhibited  as  much  sagacity  as  firmness  was  proved 
by  the  fact,  that  he  was  elected  to  the  succeeding  congress,  and  that 
his  reputation  as  a  statesman  acquired  a  new  impulse,  and  established 
itself  more  firmly  in  the  public  confidence,  and  in  that  of  his  own 
state. 

On  a  subsequent  occasion  of  great  public  excitement,  he  again 
found  himself  thrown  into  opposition  to  the  views  both  of  a  consi- 
derable portion  of  his  own  state,  and  of  a  numerous  and  powerful 
party  throughout  the  union.  The  people  having  failed  to  elect  a 
president  at  the  electoral  election  in  1824,  it  became  the  duty  of  the 
house,  under  the  constitution,  to  make  a  selection  from  the  three 
candidates  having  the  highest  number  of  votes.     A  committee  was 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

appointed  to  prepare  rules  to  be  observed  during  the  proceeding,  and 
the  report  of  this  committee  being  under  consideration,  an  important 
discussion  arose,  going  wholly  beyond  the  question  as  to  the  rules  of 
proceeding,  and  embracing  high  constitutional  points,  hitherto  un- 
touched.    It  was  maintained  by  Mr.  McLane,  that,  in  giving  his 
vote  for  president  under  the  constitutional  provision  which  devolved 
the  election  upon  the  house  of  representatives,  it  was  the  right  and 
the  duty  of  a  member  to  vote  according  to  his  own  judgment,  with- 
out being  bound  either  by  any  instructions  from  his  immediate  con- 
stituents, or  by  any  popular  preference  inferrible  from  one  of  the 
candidate's  having  received  a  plurality  of  the  electoral  votes.     Mr. 
McLane  enforced  his  views  with  great  ability ;  his  speech  on  that 
occasion  is  considered  as  one  of  his  most  successful  efforts;  and  if  a 
like  crisis  should  again  occur,  will  be  referred  to  as  a  text  book  for 
those  who  assert  their  right  to  a  free  choice. 

Standing  in  connection  with  the  enlightened  minority  who  sus- 
tained the  claims  of  Mr.  Crawford  to  the  presidency,  he  acted  in 
conformity  with  the  principles  he  had  so  ably  expounded,  and  gave 
his  vote,  as  all  admitted,  conscientiously ;  though  to  the  candidate 
having  the  smallest  number  of  votes.  Even  among  the  opponents 
of  Mr.  Crawford  were  to  be  found  adversaries  capable  of  appreciat- 
ing and  admiring  the  courage  and  devotion  which  prompted  so 
honorable  and  chivalrous  an  adherence  to  his  principles,  under  cir- 
cumstances the  most  discouraging,  and  in  disregard  of  the  censure 
he  was  sure  to  encounter.  His  course,  however,  was  marked  by  that 
intrepidity  and  decision,  without  which,  even  great  talents  fail,  in 
trying  emergencies,  to  secure  general  confidence  and  command  per- 
manent admiration. 

The  necessity  of  a  policy  which  would  cherish  and  sustain  a 
system  of  domestic  industry,  by  which  the  great  variety  of  the  pro- 
ductions of  our  soil  might  be  fabricated  without  a  resort  to  foreign 
looms,  was  early  recognised  by  the  state  of  Delaware.  On  this 
point  Mr.  McLane  participated  in  the  feelings  of  his  constituents. 
He  had  seen,  during  the  last  war,  the  extent  of  the  evils  which  had 
resulted  from  an  entire  dependance  on  foreign  supplies  for  articles 
indispensable  to  the  comfort  of  civilized  society ;  and,  admonished 
by  the  past,  he  was  anxious  to  provide  nearer  and  more  certain 
sources  of  supply  for  the  future.  In  reference,  also,  to  the  creation 
of  a  revenue,  he  was  impressed  with  the  importance  of  imposing 
such  duties  on  articles  of  foreign  manufacture  which  could  be 
wrought  out  of  our  own  materiel,  by  our  own  industry  and  genius, 


LOUIS   McLANE. 

as  would  afford  to  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  who  should  turn 
their  thoughts  and  their  toil  into  that  direction,  a  fair  competition  in 
our  own  markets  with  foreign  capital  and  industry.  Influenced  by 
these  views  Mr.  McLane  became  an  advocate  of  the  tariff  policy, 
both  as  a  source  of  revenue  and  as  a  measure  of  protection  to  the 
domestic  manufacturer,  which  would  enable  him  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  country.  His  speeches  on  this  question  contain  a  mass 
of  powerful  argument  in  favor  of  the  constitutional  power  of  con- 
gress to  impose  duties  for  protection,  combined  with  a  variety  of 
enlightened  views  as  to  the  expediency  of  exercising  that  power  in 
relation  to  the  objects  which  were  in  the  contemplation  of  its  advo- 
cates. 

The  limits  allowed  to  this  sketch  do  not  permit  a  detailed  review 
of  Mr.  McLane's  congressional  career.  He  has  borne  a  prominent 
part  in  all  the  most  important  measures  of  congress,  either  in  the 
house  or  in  the  senate,  from  1817  to  1829.  In  the  house  he  was 
first  appointed  a  member  of  the  committee  on  commerce.  He  was 
subsequently  appointed  chairman  of  the  naval  committee ;  and, 
while  holding  that  post,  he  reported  a  bill  for  the  re-organization  of 
the  navy,  containing  a  plan  well  calculated  to  add  to  the  efficiency 
of  that  essential  means  of  national  defence,  and  to  excite  the  patriotic 
ambition  of  its  gallant  officers.  He  was  also  a  member,  with  Mr. 
Lowndes  and  others,  of  the  special  committee  appointed  in  1819  to 
investigate  the  affairs  of  the  bank  of  the  United  States.  In  1822  he 
was  appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  of  ways  and  means,  in 
which  station  he  continued  until  he  was  elected  to  the  senate. 

At  the  head  of  that  committee,  the  most  important  in  the  house, 
the  duty  of  sustaining  the  executive  government  by  the  needful 
appropriations  was  principally  devolved  upon  Mr.  McLane,  whose 
skill  in  financial  arrangement,  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
wants  of  the  government,  vigilance  in  detecting  and  defeating  un- 
reasonable and  extravagant  demands,  and  constant  regard  to  an 
economical  disbursement  of  the  public  money,  speedily  won  the 
confidence  of  the  committee  and  of  the  house.  The  fidelity  and 
talent  with  which  he  carried  through  the  measures  intrusted  to 
his  charge,  established  his  merits  as  a  financial  minister,  and  his 
tact  and  industry  as  a  legislator. 

On  an  examination  of  Mr.  McLane's  congressional  career  it  may 
be  safely  asserted,  that  no  member  ever  acquired,  in  a  higher  degree, 
the  confidence  of  the  house.  A  body  comprising  so  much  virtue  and 
talent  could  not  fail  to  render  that  justice  to  his  purity  of  purpose, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

elevation  of  sentiment,  enlargement  of  views,  and  profoundness  of 
reflection,  displayed  and  recommended  as  they  were,  by  great  ability 
as  a  parliamentary  speaker. 

In  December,  1827,  at  the  commencement  of  the  twentieth  con- 
gress, Mr.  McLane  took  his  seat  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States, 
having  been  elected,  by  the  legislature  of  Delaware,  a  senator  for  the 
term  of  six  years  from  the  4th  of  March  preceding.  In  this  body  he 
had  occasion  to  sustain  and  enforce  the  opinions  he  had  expressed 
in  the  other  branch,  on  the  subject  of  the  protecting  duties,  and  the 
limitation  of  the  public  contributions,  for  the  purposes  of  internal 
improvements,  to  such  objects  as  should  be  deemed  of  national 
importance. 

The  legislative  services  of  Mr.  McLane  closed  with  the  termina- 
tion of  the  second  session.  His  talents  and  services  had  been  too 
conspicuous  to  escape  the  notice  of  General  Jackson  ;  and  one  of  the 
earliest  testimonies  of  executive  favor  was  given  to  Mr.  McLane. 
In  May,  1829,  without  solicitation  on  his  part,  he  was  selected  by 
General  Jackson  lo  fill  the  important  station  of  minister  of  the  United 
States  in  Great  Britain;  and,  after  devoting  a  short  time  to  the 
arrangement  of  his  personal  concerns,  he  embarked  for  London, 
where  he  early  applied  himself  to  the  grave  and  arduous  duties 
which  his  government  had  committed  to  his  charge. 

To  a  mind  liberally  endowed  with  natural  gifts,  and  highly 
improved  by  long  and  skilful  cultivation,  Mr.  McLane  unites  that 
blandness,  courtesy,  and  grace  of  demeanor,  so  admirably  adapted  to 
harmonize  with  the  manners  of  European  courts.  By  this  happy 
combination  of  diplomatic  qualities,  he  was  enabled  to  make  those 
impressions  in  the  outset,  the  favorable  influence  of  which  was  de- 
monstrated, in  the  ready  ear  which  was  always  given  by  the  British 
cabinet  to  his  propositions,  and  the  constant  disposition  to  concede  to 
an  urbane  and  amiable  deportment,  points  which  might  have  been 
sturdily  maintained  against  less  favorable  qualities.  The  adroitness 
and  manliness  with  which  he  conducted  the  negotiation  concerning 
the  delicate  and  embarrassing  question  of  the  exclusive  commercial 
rights  of  Great  Britain  in  her  own  colonies,  has  placed  Mr.  McLane 
on  an  elevated  point  in  the  scale  of  diplomatic  character. 

After  residing  in  London  about  two  years,  Mr.  McLane  returned, 
and  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the  treasury  department  in  1831, 
in  the  second  cabinet  of  General  Jackson.  His  expositions  of  the 
state  of  the  finances  while  in  this  situation,  are  distinguished  by 
succinctness,  and  his  suggestions  exhibit  much  depth  of  reflection 


LOUIS  McLANE. 

and  accuracy  of  judgment.  Treating  with  deference  and  respect 
the  sentiments  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  connected  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  governmeTit,  whenever  they  came  in  conflict  with 
his  own,  he  has  so  well  succeeded  in  fortifying  and  defending  his 
opinions,  as  to  demonstrate  that  they  also  have  possessed  the 
strongest  claims  to  consideration,  and  that  he  has  taken  no  single 
position,  on  questions  of  a  high  national  character,  without  a  calm 
and  deliberate  conference  with  his  own  judgment,  assisted  by  all 
the  lights  which  he  could  obtain  from  examination,  reflection,  and 
experience. 

It  was  during  Mr.  McLane's  financial  administration  that  the 
discontents  which  a  portion  of  our  southern  brethren  entertained  in 
respect  to  the  policy  of  fostering  domestic  manufactures,  assumed  a 
character  so  serious  as  to  produce  general  apprehension  for  the  public 
tranquillity.  All  the  precautionary  measures  which  the  occasion  re- 
quired of  him  were  promptly  taken,  and  so  judicious  were  they,  that 
they  did  not  tend  in  any  degree  to  exasperate  the  local  excitement. 
He  afterwards  contributed,  by  his  firm  but  conciliatory  counsels,  to 
the  spirit  of  mutual  concession,  which  resulted  in  those  measures 
which  have  happily  restored  harmony  to  the  country. 

That  Mr.  McLane  has  been  eminently  successful  in  retaining  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  chief  magistrate  by  whom  he  was 
called  to  oflice,  and  of  the  members  of  the  cabinet  with  whom  he 
has  been  associated,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  during  the 
year  1833  he  was  called  to  the  superintendence  of  the  department 
of  state. 

In  the  honorable  and  responsible  station  which  he  now  fills,  Mr. 
McLane  merits  all  that  consideration  from  his  country  which  he 
has  bought,  at  the  costly  price  of  nearly  twenty  years  of  devotion  to 
the  public  interests. 

At  an  early  period  of  his  life  he  brought  his  household  gods  and 
laid  them  on  the  altar  of  his  country ;  an  offering  which  was  yielded 
to  the  dictates  of  a  patriotic  spirit,  in  opposition  to  the  less  noble 
suggestions  of  that  cold  prudence  which  holds  up  a  selfish  enjoy- 
ment as  the  highest  of  human  duties  and  aims.  His  wealth  consists 
in  a  mind  constant,  elevated,  and  active  in  the  promotion  of  human 
prosperity,  and  a  reputation  free  from  stain,  which  will  descend  to 
his  children,  an  inheritance  which  neither  gold  can  purchase,  nor 
envy  diminish,  nor  the  pernicious  blight  of  time  destroy. 

Though  scarcely  arrived  at  the  prime  of  hfe,  Mr.  McLane  has 
already  reached  an  official  eminence  inferior  only  to  those  of  presi- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

dent  and  vice  president.  He  has  passed  legitimately  to  the  high 
place  of  secretary  of  state,  through  all  the  intermediate  trusts  of 
representative  of  the  people,  senator,  minister  to  London,  and  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury : — proving  in  all  his  knowledge  of  public  aifairs, 
and  fitting  himself  for  still  higher  service.  As  he  is  not  a  party 
man,  but  prefers  on  all  occasions  the  course  pointed  out  by  his  own 
conscientious  convictions  of  right,  his  success  is  not  the  result  of 
party  influence.  He  owes  it  to  the  esteem  in  which  his  fellow  citi- 
zens hold  his  integrity,  his  patriotism,  and  his  talents.  With  his 
qualifications  for  pubhc  service,  and  with  the  high  public  confidence 
which  he  enjoys,  a  long  career  of  usefulness  and  honor  lies  before 
him. 

10 


Engtavedby  TB  Welch  fioin.  alftajwinji'nj'J.BLan^cte. 


"WHILILEiiMI  ^3^3IE^]E=,I5)olG)o 


BISHOP  OF  THE  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAI,  CHURCH  IN   THE  COMMOfTftTSALTH  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

JEQb- 


///'^^^^^'Z 


^  ^^^ 


WILLIAM     WHITE,    D.D. 


It  is  given  to  few  men,  to  found  a  name  more  venerable,  than  that 
of  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Born  at  Philadelphia,  in  the  year 
1747,  (March  24th  old  style,  but  April  4th,  by  the  change  of  style,) 
he  yet  lives,  in  a  good  old  age,  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Church,  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  his  Divine 
Master,  "in  favor  with  God  and  man." 

His  parents  were  distinguished  by  the  most  estimable  qualities. 
His  father  Col.  Thos.  White,  a  native  of  London,  who  came  to 
Maryland  in  early  youth,  and  there  engaged  in  successful  practice  as 
a  lawyer,  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  sterling  integrity 
through  life.  Col.  White  was  twice  married.  His  second  wife,  a 
woman  of  sound  understanding  and  sincere  piety,  was  the  widow  of 
Mr.  John  Newman,  of  New- Jersey;  and  their  only  children  were 
Mary,  who  was  married  to  the  celebrated  statesman  and  financier 
Robert  Morris,  and  William,  now  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania.  To 
the  pious  character  of  his  mother,  the  Bishop  bears  his  grateful  testi- 
mony, and  says,  "  My  earliest  impressions  of  religion  were  the  fruit 
of  her  instructions."  His  father,  Col.  White,  having  removed  to 
Pennsylvania,  and  being  there  well  known  as  a  friend  of  learning, 
was  chosen  a  Trustee  of  the  newly  endowed  college  of  Philadelphia  ; 
and  in  this  institution  the  son  commenced  and  completed  his  aca- 
demical career. 

At  the  age  of  seven  years,  he  was  transferred  from  the  school  of  a 
mistress  to  the  English  school  of  the  new  college,  under  Mr.  Ebene- 
zer  Kinnersley,  a  friend  of  the  philosopher  Dr.  Franklin.  When  ten 
years  old,  he  was  advanced  into  the  Latin  school,  under  Mr.  Paul 
Jackson,  a  man  of  genius  and  classical  attainments ;  and  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  was  matriculated. 

At  this  early  period  of  life,  his  thoughts  were  directed  to  the 
Christian  ministry. 

Under  his  own  hand,  in  a  private  letter  now  before  the  author  of 
this  sketch,  he '  furnishes  a  satisfactory  and  pleasing  record  of  this 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

incident.     "  It  may  be  recorded  with  truth,"  says  he,  "but  let  it  be 
with  humihty  and  with  sorrow  for  innumerable  failures,  and  for 
having  fallen  far  short  of  what  was  due  to  the  advantages  of  early 
years,  that  there  is  not  recollected  any  portion  of  my  life,  during 
which  I  was  altogether  regardless  of  the  obhgations  of  religion  or 
neglected  prayer.     But  in  about  the  middle  of  my  sixteenth  year, 
there  occurred  some  circumstances,  particularly  the  decease  of  an 
amiable  young  lady,  of  my  own  age,  but  in  whom  I  had  not  felt 
any  further  interest  than  as  an  acquaintance  of  my  sister.     This 
event  gave  my  mind  a  tendency  to  religious  exercises  and  inqui- 
ries, which  were  promoted  by  its  being  understood  that  a  visit 
was  expected  from  the  Rev.  George  Whitfield.     His  coming  caused 
religion  to  be  more  than  commonly  a  subject  of  conversation  ;  and 
this  added  to  the  existing  tendency  of  my  mind."     Whitfield,  at  this 
period,  (1763,)  had  long  been  in  the  wane  of  his  popularity, — his 
health  much  impaired,  his  naturally  slender  person  grown  to  corpu- 
lence, and  his  rare  powers  of  utterance  affected  by  these  causes ;  yet 
even  under  such  great  disadvantages,  "  his  force  of  emphasis  and 
the  melodies  of  his  tones  and  cadences,"  says  the  Bishop,  "exceeded 
what  I  had  ever  witnessed  in  any  other  person."     Our  youthful 
hearer  was  not  among    the  field-preacher's   devotees :    the   glow 
of  eloquence,   however,  with  which  Whitfield,   in  "thoughts  that 
breathe,"  gave  life  to  sacred  subjects,  and,  beside  this,  the  earnest 
religious  conversations  of  the  day,  must  have  produced  powerful 
effects  upon  a  mind  then  roused  to  serious  thoughts  upon  religion. 
But  with  a  calmness  amid  the  prevailing  agitations,  that  was  remark- 
able in  a  boy  of  only  sixteen  years,  he  did  not  find  himself  disposed 
to  be  "  a  convert."     He  states,  that  he  could  not  reconcile  to  his 
mind  the  vows  and  the  doings  of  Whitfield,  as  a  clergyman  of  the 
Established  Church, — "his  obligations,  and  his  utter  disregard  of 
them."     This  aspect  of  things,  new  and  strange  to  an  ingenuous 
young  man,  most  happily  led  him  to  deliberate  investigation,  and 
thus  were  at  last  fixed  in  his  mind  those  principles  of  apostolic  order, 
on  which  he  was  destined,  in  the  course  of  Providence,  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  the  now  florishing  American  Episcopal  Church. 

Having  spent  three  years  in  college,  he  graduated  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  in  the  year  1765,  and  soon  began  the  study  of  Theology, 

Five  years  after  he  left  college,  he  embarked  for  Europe,  in  Octo- 
ber 1770,  with  the  usual  letters  to  Dr.  Terrick,  then  Bishop  of 
London ;  for  before  the  declaration  of  our  civil  independence,  the 
Bishop  of  London  had  charge  of  the  Episcopal  churches  in  America. 


WILLIAM  WHITE. 

The  candidate  was  examined  by  the  Bishop's  chaplain,  and,  with 
many  others,  was  ordained  a  deacon,  under  letters  demissory,  by  the 
Bishop  of  Norwich,  Dr.  Young,  in  the  Royal  Chapel,  of  which  the 
Bishop  of  London  was  the  dean. 

For  eighteen  months  after  this  time,  he  tarried  in  England,  where 
it  was  his  privilege,  in  the  society  of  some  valued  relatives  at  Twick- 
enham, or  in  occasional  journeys,  to  improve  himself  in  useful  learn- 
ing, to  lay  up  rich  materials  for  reflection,  and  to  cultivate  the 
acquaintance  of  the  wise  and  good.  Alluding  to  his  rambles  at  that 
time,  he  speaks  particularly  of  his  visits  to  Lancashire  and  Derby- 
shire, of  his  tour  to  Bath,  and  to  the  University  of  Oxford  ; — of  his 
interview  with  Dr.  Kennicott,  from  whose  hands  he  received  a  copy 
of  his  Hebrew  collations; — of  the  preaching  of  Dr.  Robert  Lowth, 
afterward  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London; — of  his  conversing  with 
Dr.  Oliver  Goldsmith,  on  the  state  of  the  peasantry  depicted  in  the 
Deserted  Village  ; — and  of  his  introduction  by  letter  to  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson,  with  whom  he  had  occasional  conversations,  and  whom 
he  saw  occupied  in  preparing  his  great  work  for  a  new  edition. 
In  April  1772,  he  was  admitted  to  Priests'  Orders.  He  embarked 
for  America  in  June,  and  in  September  he  arrived  at  Philadelphia, 
where  he  was  soon  settled  as  an  assistant  minister  in  the  parish  of 
Christ  Church  and  St.  Peter's. 

During  the  long  term  of  sixty-one  years,  he  has  labored  in  the 
cause  of  piety  and  learning,  not  only  in  the  institutions  peculiar  to 
the  Church,  but  in  all  the  prominent  institutions  of  Philadelphia, — 
for  sixty  years  a  Trustee  of  the  University ;  the  President  of  the 
Bible  Society  of  Philadelphia,  which  was  the  first  established  in  the 
U.  S. ;  the  President  of  the  Dispensary,  since  its  origin  in  1784, 
of  the  Prison  Society,  from  its  origin  about  forty  years  ago,  of  the 
Society  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  and  of  the  Society  for  the  Blind. 
He  has  been  variously  connected  also  with  many  other  institutions,  as 
a  manager  or  member,  and  before  the  birth  of  most  of  his  coadjutors 
in  these  public  charities,  he  laid  the  corner-stones  of  their  edifices, 
and  established  the  principles  of  their  perpetuity  and  their  success. 

Well  read  in  the  history  of  England,  and  adopting  those  princi- 
ples which  entered  into  its  constitution  from  the  Saxon  times,  he 
thought  and  felt  and  acted  with  our  revolutionary  patriots,  very 
many  of  whom  were  his  associates  and  friends.  "  When  my  coun- 
trymen," says  he,  "  had  chosen  the  dreadful  measure  of  resistance, 
it  was  also  the  dictate  of  my  conscience,  to  take  what  seemed  the 
right  side."    He  entered  fully  into  the  subject,  as  a  decided  Christian 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

patriot.  His  brethren  in  the  assistant  ministry  of  the  parish, 
preached  animating  sermons  before  battahons  of  the  soldiery ;  but 
this  he  refused  to  do,  alleging  that  he  did  not  think  it  right  to  make 
his  ministry  "  instrumental  to  the  war,"  or,  as  he  says,  "  to  beat  the 
ecclesiastical  drum."  With  all  the  other  clergy  of  the  Church  of 
England,  he  used  the  prayer  for  the  king,  until  the  Sunday  following 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Soon  after  that  time,  he  took  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States. 

The  disquietudes  occasioned  by  the  war  induced  him,  in  Septem- 
ber 1777,  to  leave  Philadelphia,  then  occupied  by  British  troops,  and 
to  repair  with  his  family  to  the  house  of  a  near  relative  in  Maryland, 
While  there,  he  received  official  notice,  that  Congress,  who  had  fled 
to  York-town,  had  chosen  him  one  of  their  chaplains.  Consistent 
in  his  principles,  he  at  once  accepted  the  appointment,  and  performed 
the  stated  duties  of  the  chaplaincy. 

A  dark  cloud  hung  over  the  church  of  England  in  America,  at 
this  crisis.  In  Pennsylvania,  the  settled  clergy  of  the  province, 
exclusive  of  the  city,  had  at  no  time  exceeded  six  in  number,  and 
the  chief  reliance  of  all  these  for  their  support  was  on  stipends 
received  from  England.  The  war  led  some  of  them  to  take  leave  of 
the  country,  some  died,  and  the  subject  of  our  memoir  was  soon  left 
the  only  Episcopal  clergyman  in  the  whole  state. 

The  rectorship  of  the  parish  of  Christ  Church  and  St.  Peter's, 
after  a  time,  was  declared  by  the  vestry  to  be  vacant ;  and  they  at 
once  unanimously  elected  to  the  office  the  Rev.  William  White. 
In  the  spring  of  the  year  1783,  he  received  the  degree  of  D.  D. 
from  the  university  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was,  it  appears,  the  first 
person  on  whom  the  university  conferred  that  honor. 

Not  long  before  the  peace  of  '83,  despairing  of  a  prompt  acknow- 
ledgment of  our  independence,  and  perceiving  the  Episcopal  ministry 
approaching  to  annihilation,  Dr.  White  wrote  and  published  a 
small  pamphlet,  called  "  The  Case  of  the  Episcopal  Churches  in  the 
U.  S.  considered."  This  pamphlet  was  issued  without  the  author's 
name.  But  its  pure  spirit  and  its  noble  bearing  proved  it  the  pro- 
duction of  a  superior  mind.  With  a  faithful  pencil,  it  depicted  the 
entire  desolation  that  awaited  a  rapidly  declining  church.  It  pressed 
the  obligation  of  adopting  speedy  and  decisive  measures,  to  per- 
petuate her  ministry  and  worship.  With  this  view,  it  proposed  the 
establishment  of  an  Episcopal  Church  in  the  U.  S.,  to  be  divided  into 
districts,  each  district  to  have  not  only  clerical  but  lay  delegates, 
and  all  the  districts  to  be  represented  in  a  continental  convention  of 


WILLIAM  WHITE. 

the  clmrch.  The  proposed  districts  being  thus  constituted,  "  they 
should  elect  a  clergyman  their  permanent  President,  who,  in  con- 
junction with  other  clergymen  to  be  appointed  by  the  body,  might 
exercise  such  powers  as  are  purely  spiritual,  particularly  that  of  ad- 
mitting to  the  ministry."  The  convention  was,  however,  to  declare 
in  favor  of  Episcopacy,  and  profess  a  determination  to  procure  the 
apostolical  succession,  as  soon  as  it  could  conveniently  be  had. 

This  measure  of  a  deviation  from  the  ancient  apostolic  practice, 
was  startling  to  all  those  who  held,  that  the  office  of  bishops  was 
essential  to  the  existence  of  the  Church.  But  when  numerous  Epis- 
copal congregations  were  scattered,  "  having  no  shepherd," — when 
many  of  their  churches  had  been  closed  for  years,  when  the  war 
rendered  the  supply  of  vacancies  impracticable,  when  these  vacan- 
cies were  daily  multiplying  by  deaths  and  by  removals,  and  when 
there  were  but  few  Episcopal  pulpits  in  the  whole  country  from 
which  the  Gospel  sound  was  heard, — it  was  indeed  a  time  of  pecu- 
liar emergency.  The  prospects  of  Churchmen  in  America  were 
veiled  in  the  deepest  gloom.  It  was  the  summer  of  the  year  1783. 
Our  national  independence,  the  mother  country  had  not  yet  recog- 
nised. It  was  the  opinion  of  judicious  persons,  that  she  might 
perhaps  lay  do\vn  her  weapons,  but  not  yield  her  claims.  And  in 
this  exigency  of  the  case,  the  author  of  the  pamphlet  made  an  appeal 
to  the  high  authority  of  Hooker,  Hoadly,  Usher,  and  Cranmer,  and 
suggested,  rather  than  abandon  every  ordinance  of  positive  and 
divine  appointment,  to  yield  to  a  temporary  deviation  from  the  ancient 
practice.  He  argued  against  any  union  of  Church  and  state.  And 
although  James  I.  might  teach,  in  England,  "  No  bishop,  no  king ; 
and  no  king,  no  bishop;"  m  the  United  States,  just  rising  in 
the  freshness  and  the  vigor  of  her  independence.  Episcopacy  by  no 
means  seemed  to  depend  upon  the  will,  no,  not  on  the  existence  of  a 
monarch,  but  might,  as  has  actually  proved  to  be  the  case,  liorish 
as  loell  at  least  without,  as  with,  the  patronage  of  government. 

The  whole  subject,  however,  in  a  few  months  assumed  a  form, 
that  met  the  hopes,  and  responded  to  the  prayers  of  many.  Our 
independence  was  acknowledged  by  Great  Britain,  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  1783.  The  organizing  of  the  Church  very  soon  commenced. 
The  first  step  made  in  it  was  an  invitation  from  the  Vestry  of  Christ 
Church  and  St.  Peter's,  Nov.,  1783,  to  the  Vestry  of  St.  Paul's. 
Deputies  met  at  the  house  of  Dr.  White,  Mar.  29,  1784.  They 
invited  a  convention  of  delegates  from  all  the  churches  in  the  state, 
who  met  in   Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,   May  24.      Their  pro- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

ceedings,  in  a  few  days,  were  laid  before  a  meeting  in  New- Jersey, 
which  was  followed  by  a  meeting  in  New- York;  and  thence  resulted 
the  call  of  the  first  General  Convention,  at  Philadelphia,  in  Sept. 
and  Oct.,  1785. 

At  this  first  General  Convention,  Dr.  White  presided.  A  com- 
mittee was  appointed,  to  draft  and  report  a  constitution,  and  Dr. 
White  was  a  member  of  this  committee.  The  instrument  was 
written  by  his  hand.  And  his  thorough  knowledge  of  his  subject 
enabled  him  to  meet  the  views  and  wishes  of  all  parties.  The  Con- 
stitution was  adopted  ;  and  during  the  lapse  of  almost  fifty  years,  it 
has  united  in  a  holy  bond  the  once  scattered  members  of  the  Epis- 
copal Communion.  Certain  alterations  were  now  made  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer ;  and  it  was  resolved,  to  address  the  archbishops 
and  bishops  of  England,  asking  for  the  consecration  of  bishops  elect 
from  America. 

The  clergy  of  Connecticut,  acting  apart,  had  already  (1785)  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  Bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Seabury, — 
consecrated,  however,  not  by  English  bishops,  but  by  bishops  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  Scotland.  Yet  this  did  not  meet  the  existing 
want ;  and  there  was  a  general  and  decided  wish,  that  the  proposed 
bishops  should  be,  by  all  means,  consecrated  in  England.  There 
were  also,  both  here  and  abroad,  not  a  few,  who  doubted  whether 
this  consecration  by  the  Scotch  bishops  was  valid.  Among  these 
was  the  celebrated  Granville  Sharp,  the  grandson  of  Archbishop 
Sharp,  whose  deep  interest  in  the  American  Episcopacy  appears 
from  his  letters  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  Dr.  Franklin. 

The  Address  of  the  General  Convention  of  '85  was  handed  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  by  our  foreign  minister  Mr.  John  Adams, 
who  used  his  influence  on  many  occasions,  to  facilitate  the  measure 
proposed. 

The  history  of  the  times  exhibits  numerous  and  afiiictive  embar- 
rassments, arising  from  the  want  of  resident  bishops.  Applications 
from  America  were  made  again  and  again;  and  in  England  the 
measure  found  warm  advocates  in  many,  especially  in  Archbishop 
Seeker.  But  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the  colonies,  in  regard  not  only 
to  the  oflice  but  the  name  of  bishop,  and  prudential  considerations  on 
the  part  of  the  British  crown,  presented  for  a  long  time  insuperable 
barriers.  The  only  dependance  for  a  supply  of  clergy,  was  on  emi- 
gration, or  on  candidates  sent  to  the  Bishop  of  London  for  their 
Orders.  The  revolution  of  the  colonies  created  disabilities  even  on 
his  part.     And  after  our  civil  independence  had  been  recognised, 


WILLIAM   WHITE. 

new  difficulties  were  suggested ;  so  that  when  certain  candidates 
apphed  soon  after  the  peace  of  '83,  they  could  not,  as  citizens  of  a 
free  country,  assume  the  oaths  of  allegiance  required  at  ordination. 
The  candidates  turned  their  thoughts  to  the  Episcopal  Church  of 
Denmark,  and  soon  received,  through  our  minister,  Mr.  Adams,  fa- 
vorable answers  to  inquiries  which  he  had  proposed  in  their  behalf. 
Mr.  Adams  had  conferred  on  the  subject  with  M.  de  St.  Saphorin,  the 
Danish  minister,  who  wrote  to  the  king's  foreign  secretary,  the  Count 
de  Rosencrone ;  and  the  result  was  an  official  communication  to  our 
government,  transmitted  to  the  president  of  congress.  But  an  act  of 
parliament,  passed  in  1786,  and  the  proceedings  of  Churchmen  in 
America,  especially  their  Address,  soon  rendered  unnecessary  an 
acceptance  of  the  offer,  so  very  promptly  and  so  liberally  made  by 
the  theological  faculty  and  the  government  of  Denmark. 

In  the  spring  of  1786,  a  favorable  reply  to  the  Address  was  received 
from  England,  signed  by  the  two  archbishops  and  eighteen  of  the 
twenty-four  bishops  of  the  Established  Church.  General  Conven- 
tions on  the  subject  met  in  June  and  October.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Pro- 
voosT,  of  N.  Y.,  Dr.  White,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Dr.  Griffith, 
of  Virginia,  were  declared  duly  chosen  by  their  respective  conven- 
tions to  proceed  to  England  for  the  Episcopate.  The  two  former 
soon  embarked ;  the  third,  from  some  domestic  cause,  was  unable  to 
proceed.  In  eighteen  days,  they  stepped  on  shore  at  Falmouth. 
They  were  presented  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  by  Mr. 
Adams.  On  the  4th  of  February,  1787,  they  were  consecrated,  in 
the  chapel  of  the  arch i episcopal  palace  at  Lambeth,  by  the  Most  Rev. 
John  Moore,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  assisted  by  Dr.  Markham, 
Archbishop  of  York,  and  by  Bishops  Moss  and  Hinchliffe.  On 
Easter-day,  Apr.  7,  1787,  they  were  again  in  the  U.  S.,  and  they 
soon  entered  on  the  active  duties  of  their  office.  In  the  year  1790, 
Dr.  Madison,  of  Virginia,  was  also  consecrated  at  Lambeth. 

Episcopacy  was  now  established  in  the  U.  S.,  under  the  most 
advantageous  circumstances.  It  attracted  the  attention  of  all  other 
communions,  and,  in  a  more  especial  manner,  conciliated  the  regard 
of  certain  members  of  the  Methodist  Society.  One  of  their  spiritual 
fathers,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coke,  whom,  to  use  his  own  words,  Mr.  Wes- 
ley invested  "  as  far  as  he  had  a  right  to  do,  with  Episcopal 
authority,"  was  not  satisfied  with  his  wide  deviation  from  apostolic 
practice,  and  wrote  explicitly  to  Bishop  White,  proposing  to  the 
American  bishops  to  re-ordain  all  the  preachers  of  the  Methodist 
Society,  to  admit  Mr.  Asbury  and  himself  to  the  episcopate,  and 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

virtually  to  effect  a  re-union  of  Methodists  and  Episcopalians.  Bishop 
White,  from  the  beginning,  saw  that  the  measure,  as  proposed, 
must  fail ;  but  Bishop  Madison  was  very  favorable  to  the  scheme. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  General  Convention  in  1792,  he  introduced  a 
motion  on  the  subject  into  the  House  of  Bishops,  and  led  them  to 
bring  it  before  the  clerical  and  lay  deputies.  But  the  whole  project 
was  there  set  aside,  and  has  never  since  been  seriously  agitated. 

The  limits  prescribed  to  this  sketch,  will  not  admit  of  our  alluding 
to  the  friends  of  Bp.  White,  particularly  the  late  lamented  Bp. 
Hobart,  nor  to  his  Episcopal  and  parochial  labors,  nor  to  his  endear- 
ing attributes  of  private  life,  nor  to  the  various  particulars,  deeply 
interesting  to  Episcopalians,  with  which  the  name  of  their  senior 
Bishop  is  associated.  He  has  written  "  Memoirs  of  the  Prot.  Episc. 
Church,"  in  1  vol.  oct. ;  and  his  opinions  on  the  leading  truths  of 
Christianity  may  be  found  in  his  "  Comparative  Views  of  the  Contro- 
versy between  the  Calvinists  and  Arminians,"  2  vols,  oct.,  in  his 
"  Lectures  on  the  Catechism,"  1  vol.  oct.,  in  his  "  Commentaries  on 
the  Ordination  Services,"  1  vol.  oct.,  and  in  his  numerous  occasional 
Sermons,  Charges,  Addresses,  Essays,  and  contributions  to  periodi- 
cals, forming  a  rich  treasury  of  information  on  every  important  point 
of  doctrine  and  discipline. 

The  founder  and  chief  ornament  of  the  Prot.  Episc.  Church,  his 
character  and  writings  will  be  a  precious  legacy  to  future  generations. 
Excepting  only  Dr.  Clagget,  who  received  the  episcopate  from  Bp. 
Provoost,  all  the  twenty-five  bishops,  from  the  commencement  of  the 
Church,  have  been  consecrated  by  the  hands  of  Bp.  White.  His 
first  associates  in  his  high  office,  without  one  exception,  and  many 
others  since,  amounting  to  fourteen  in  number,  have  gone  hence 
from  his  side.  Yet  he  lives.  He  has  been  present  at  every  General 
Convention  of  the  Church  since  its  origin  ;  and  he  now  declares  to 
his  spiritual  children  "  the  noble  works  of  the  Lord"  done  "  in  the 
old  time  before  them."  In  the  forty-seventh  year  of  his  episcopate, 
the  sixty-third  of  his  ministry,  and  the  eighty-sixth  of  his  good  old 
age,  tall  and  erect  in  stature,  with  his  flowing  white  locks  and  his 
marked  features  of  benevolence,  his  mental  faculties  yet  undecayed, 
and  his  soul  calm  in  that  peace  which  passeth  understanding,  we 
see  in  him  a  picture  of  the  true  sublime  of  our  nature, — a  holy  man, 
full  of  years  and  full  of  honors,  in  the  serene  evening  of  a  long  life 
well  spent  in  the  immediate  service  of  the  Lord,  about  to  compose 
himself  to  sleep  in  Jesus,  in  the  certain  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality. 


Kur'   J  I..-  I'i.i  .I-Tnj]iiUil: 


il«KT¥  TIMOTHY  II)l«0:i&HT,SoT,D.-iL,iJJ, 


TIMOTHY      DWIGHT. 


This  eminent  divine  was  born  of  reputable  parents,  in  Northamp- 
ton, Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1752.  His  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  the  celebrated  metaphysician  and  theologian.  President  Edwards, 
and  is  said  to  have  inherited  much  of  the  uncommon  powers  of  her 
father.  She  early  perceived  the  promise  of  superior  genius  in  her 
son,  and  cherished  its  progressive  developments  with  all  a  mother's 
fondness.  His  advancement  in  learning,  while  almost  in  his  in- 
fancy, was  wonderfully  rapid ;  and  we  are  told  by  his  biographers, 
that  at  the  age  of  six  years  he  studied  through  Lilly's  Latin  gram- 
mar twice,  without  the  knowledge  of  his  father.  When  he  had  just 
passed  his  thirteenth  year,  he  was  admitted  a  member  of  Yale 
college,  and  he  went  through  his  collegiate  course  with  great  credit. 
Immediately  after  graduating,  he  opened  a  grammar  school  in  New 
Haven,  which  he  continued  for  two  years,  when  he  was  chosen  a 
tutor  in  the  college.  During  the  period  he  was  occupied  with  his 
school,  he  made  a  regular  division  of  his  time,  devoting  six  hours  of 
the  day  to  his  pupils,  and  eight  hours  to  his  private  studies.  He 
was  for  six  years  a  tutor  in  the  college,  and  was  a  laborious  and 
successful  teacher.  So  popular  was  he  with  the  students,  that  on 
his  resignation,  and  when  only  twenty-five  years  of  age,  a  petition 
was  presented  by  them  to  the  corporation  of  the  college,  soliciting 
his  appointment  to  the  presidency.  In  directing  his  private  studies 
at  this  time,  he  turned  his  attention  more  particularly  to  rhetoric 
and  belles  lettres,  which  had  been  but  little  cultivated  in  our  semi- 
naries previous  to  the  revolution,  and  his  early  productions  in  prose 
and  verse,  in  conjunction  with  those  of  Trumbull,  Humphreys,  and 
Barlow,  formed  an  era  in  American  literature. 

In  1771  he  commenced  writing  the  "Conquest  of  Canaan,"  a 
regular  epic  poem,  which  employed  his  leisure  hours  until  1774, 
when  it  was  completed.  On  receiving  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts, 
in  1772,  he  pronounced  an  oration  on  the  history,  eloquence,  and 
poetry  of  the  Bible,  which  was  published  in  this  country  and  in 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

England.  In  order  to  economize  his  time  at  this  period,  and  to 
avoid  the  necessity  of  exercise,  he  restricted  himself  to  certain  abste- 
mious rules  in  diet,  which,  in  the  end,  greatly  impaired  his  health, 
and  he  was  at  length  reluctantly  compelled  to  lay  aside  his  books. 
His  physician  recommended  the  daily  use  of  severe  bodily  exercise, 
which  he  had  endeavored  to  forego,  and  it  is  said,  that  during  a 
twelvemonth  he  walked  and  rode  upwards  of  five  thousand  miles, 
besides  resuming,  no  doubt,  that  good  ©Id  system  of  living  to  which 
he  had  been  accustomed.  The  result,  in  a  short  time,  was  the  com- 
plete restoration  of  his  health,  which  continued  good  for  the  ensuing 
forty  years  of  his  life,  and  until  he  was  attacked  by  his  last  illness. 

In  1777  the  different  classes  in  the  college  were  separated  on 
account  of  the  war,  and  he  repaired,  with  his  class,  to  Weathers- 
field,  in  Connecticut,  where  he  remained  from  May  to  September. 
During  this  summer  he  was  licensed  to  preach  as  a  Congregational 
minister.  In  September  he  was  nominated  a  chaplain  in  the  army, 
and  immediately  joined  the  brigade  of  General  Parsons,  in  the  Mas- 
sachusetts line.  While  in  the  army  he  wrote  several  patriotic 
songs,  which  were  much  admired  and  widely  circulated. 

In  1778  he  received  the  melancholy  tidings  of  the  death  of  his 
father,  upon  which  he  resigned  his  situation  in  the  army,  and 
returned  to  Northampton,  to  assist  his  widowed  mother  in  the  edu- 
cation and  support  of  her  family.  Here  he  remained  about  five 
years,  laboring  on  the  farm  during  the  week,  and  preaching  every 
Sabbath  in  one  of  the  neighboring  towns,  besides  establishing  a 
school,  which  was  largely  patronized.  During  this  period  he  was 
twice  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts. 

In  1783  he  was  ordained  a  minister  in  the  parish  of  Greenfield, 
in  Connecticut.  Besides  attending  to  his  parochial  duties,  he  also 
opened  an  academy  here,  which  soon  acquired  a  reputation  then 
unequahed  in  our  country ;  and  in  the  course  of  twelve  years,  he 
tauDfht  more  than  one  thousand  scholars  in  the  various  branches  of 
English  and  classical  literature.  During  his  residence  at  Greenfield 
he  published  the  "  Conquest  of  Canaan,"  for  which,  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  he  had  obtained  a  list  of  three  thousand  subscribers.  He 
however  withheld  its  publication  at  that  time,  and  now  printed  it 
at  his  own  expense.  It  was  shortly  afterwards  republished  in  Eng- 
land, and  received  the  approbation  of  Darwin  and  Cowper,  the 
former,  particularly,  commending  the  smoothness  and  melody  of  the 
versification.  There  are  many  splendid  passages  in  this  poem,  and 
if  it  was  not  popular  with  all  classes  of  readers,  something  may, 


TIMOTHY    DWIGHT. 

doubtless,  be  attributed  to  the  theme ;  and  although  the  author  himself 
declared  in  after  life  that  "  it  was  too  great  an  undertaking  for  inex- 
perienced years,"  still,  it  must  be  considered  an  extraordinary  pro- 
duction for  a  youth  of  twenty-two. 

In  1794  he  published  his  poem  entitled  "  Greenfield  Hill,"  named 
after  the  beautiful  spot  where  he  resided. 

In  1795  he  was  elected  president  of  Yale  college,  on  the  death  of 
President  Styles.  On  his  accession  to  this  office,  he  found  the  col- 
lege in  a  depressed  state,  owing  to  the  want  of  funds  and  other 
causes ;  but  his  distinguished  reputation  as  an  instructer  brought  to 
it  a  great  increase  of  students,  and  he  soon  succeeded  in  establishing 
two  new  professorships,  and  in  greatly  extending  the  library  and 
philosophical  apparatus.  He  not  only  enlarged  the  sphere  of  in- 
struction, but  changed  the  whole  system  of  government  of  the 
college,  while  he  reformed  the  modes  and  elevated  the  tone  of 
education,  directing  the  students  to  a  loftier  aim  in  literary  and 
moral  improvement.  The  effects  were  soon  abundantly  visible,  and 
Yale  college  has  ever  since  ranked  with  the  first  institutions  of 
learning  in  our  country.  During  the  twenty-one  years  he  presided 
over  it,  a  greater  number  of  students  were  educated  there  than  in 
any  other  similar  institution. 

In  1796  he  commenced  a  regular  course  of  travelling  through 
New  England  and  the  state  of  New  York,  which  he  continued  dur- 
ing the  spring  and  fall  vacations  in  each  succeeding  year,  until  a 
short  time  before  his  death.  In  these  excursions,  undertaken  prin- 
cipally for  the  purposes  of  health,  and  of  relaxation  from  his  sedentary 
duties  in  the  college,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making  brief  notes,  upon 
the  spot,  of  every  thing  interesting  which  he  saw  or  heard,  for  the 
immediate  gratification  of  hi^.  family ;  and  these  notes  were  after- 
wards written  out  by  him,  or  to  his  dictation,  by  an  amanuensis, 
and  have  been  published  since  his  death,  under  the  title  of  "  Travels 
in  New  England  and  New  York,"  in  four  volumes  octavo.  This 
work  contains  a  mass  of  useful  and  interesting  information  upon  a 
great  variety  of  topics,  with  amusing  anecdotes  and  graphic  sketches 
of  scenery  and  character.  A  most  valuable  portion  of  it  is  its  histo- 
rical notices  of  the  origin  and  customs  of  the  aborigines  of  our 
country.  He  also  left  behind  him,  ready  for  the  press,  a  complete 
system  of  divinity,  contained  in  one  hundred  and  seventy-three 
discourses  or  lectures,  which  formed  his  course  in  the  college  as 
professor  of  theology,  and  which  have  been  published,  both  in  Eng- 
land and  this  country,  under  the  title  of  "  Theology  Explained  and 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Defended."  He  continued  the  active  performance  of  his  duties 
until  near  the  close  of  his  life,  and  heard  the  recitation  of  a  theolo- 
gical class  a  week  before  his  death.  During  his  illness,  which  con- 
tinued about  two  years,  he  occasionally  occupied  himself  in  poetical 
composition,  to  divert  his  mind  from  his  painful  sufferings.  Four 
days  previous  to  his  death,  he  performed  the  last  of  his  literary  and 
earthly  labors ;  and  as  he  laid  his  manuscript  aside,  which  was  a 
theological  dissertation,  he  said  to  his  family,  "  I  have  now  finished." 
He  died  at  his  residence  in  New  Haven,  January  11th,  1817,  after 
severe  and  repeated  attacks  of  his  disease,  the  character  of  which,  it 
is  said,  was  not  well  understood. 

In  this  brief  sketch,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  full  justice  can  be 
done  to  the  character  of  President  Dwight.  We  shall  endeavor, 
however,  to  present  our  own  views  of  it,  derived  from  personal 
knowledge,  and  the  observations  of  others,  who  have  written  his 
biography.  As  poetry  did  not  form  the  business  of  his  life,  but  was 
written  merely  as  a  mode  of  literary  relaxation,  there  have  been 
those  among  us  who  surpassed  him  in  this  department  of  literature, 
and  as  a  poet,  therefore,  we  do  not  ask  for  him  the  highest  meed  of 
praise.  His  mind,  perhaps,  was  too  logical  and  argumentative,  his 
train  of  thought  too  methodical,  and  his  memory  too  retentive  of 
facts  and  details,  and  too  much  engrossed  with  them,  to  leave  room 
for  the  display  of  that  brilliant  fancy  which  the  highest  flights  of 
poetry  require.  His  stronger  mental  powers  he  had  subjected  to  a 
severe  discipline  from  early  youth,  and  we  suspect  that  the  philoso- 
phy of  Bacon  and  Locke  had  always  more  charms  for  him  than  the 
music  of  the  Doric  reed.  Still,  some  of  his  smaller  poetical  pieces 
are  extremely  beautiful. 

But  the  fame  of  Dr.  Dwight  was  not  built  upon  his  poetry,  and 
does  not  rest  upon  it.  As  an  instructor,  he  stood  pre-eminent  among 
his  contemporaries,  from  the  opening  of  his  grammar  school  in  New 
Haven,  while  a  mere  youth,  to  the  close  of  his  career  as  president  of 
Yale  college.  He  early  made  innovations  upon  previous  methods 
of  instruction,  which  were  dictated  by  his  powerful  and  original 
genius,  and  they  were  attended  with  signal  success,  as  many  who 
now  occupy  high  places  amongst  us  can  bear  witness.  The  art  of 
the  pedagogue,  under  his  hands,  expanded  into  a  noble  vocation, 
which  corrmianded  respect  and  veneration,  and  elevated  science  and 
literature  in  our  country  to  a  rank  which,  before  his  time,  they 
had  not  attained.  Over  his  pupils  he  exercised  an  unbounded  in- 
fluence, which  was  cemented  in  affection ;  and  his  unwearied  efforts 


TIMOTHY  DWIGHT. 

at  all  times  were,  to  pour  into  their  minds  that  ripe  knowledge, 
which  it  had  been  the  whole  business  of  his  life  to  treasure  up  from 
study,  meditation,  and  a  familiar  intercourse  with  the  world.  He 
was  versed  in  almost  every  subject  of  science  and  art,  and  besides 
his  own  peculiar  and  professional  studies,  he  had  acquired  inex- 
haustible treasures  in  natural  philosophy,  chemistry,  history,  geo- 
graphy, statistics,  philology,  husbandry,  and  domestic  economy ; 
and  which  were  so  methodically  arranged  in  his  mind,  as  to  be 
always  at  command,  and  when  he  became  animated  in  discourse, 
were  poured  forth  from  his  lips  in  a  perpetual  stream  of  knowledge 
and  wisdom. 

Dr.  Dwight's  colloquial  powers  were  very  great,  and  no  one  who 
had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  his  conversation  ever  failed  to  be 
impressed  with  a  high  opinion  of  his  great  attainments,  and  a  pro- 
found respect  for  his  character,  which  was  heightened  by  his  polish- 
ed and  courteous  address.  To  strangers  he  was  urbane  and  affable, 
and  among  the  friends  of  his  fireside,  he  intermingled,  in  his  social 
converse,  flashes  of  wit  with  practical  wisdom,  the  utile  cum  dulci, 
in  the  most  fascinating  degree.  His  temper  was  ardent,  but  his  heart 
was  full  of  kindness,  and  probably  no  husband,  father,  or  friend, 
was  ever  more  beloved  than  he  was  by  those  to  whom  he  stood  in 
these  relations.  To  them  his  loss  was  irreparable,  and  a  whole 
community  sympathized  in  their  sorrows.  His  memory  was  a  store- 
house of  anecdotes  upon  all  subjects,  which  he  had  been  indus- 
triously collecting  from  books,  and  a  long  and  attentive  observation  of 
mankind ;  and  little  of  what  he  had  once  learned  was  afterwards 
foro-otten.  Hence  his  society  was  greatly  courted,  and  the  atten- 
tions which  he  uniformly  received  from  all  classes  of  his  fellow 
citizens,  were  richly  repaid  by  the  instruction  and  pleasure  which 
his  conversation  afforded. 

As  a  theologian  he  stood  at  the  head  of  his  profession,  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  and  was  inferior  in  learning  to  none  of  his  predecessors, 
if  we  except,  perhaps,  his  maternal  grandfather.  President  Edwards. 
As  a  proof  of  the  correctness  of  this  high  praise,  we  confidently  refer 
to  his  voluminous  theological  works,  and  the  criticisms  which  have 
been  pronounced  upon  them,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  He  was  an 
eloquent  preacher,  and  although  his  discourses  were  addressed  to 
the  understanding  rather  than  the  passions  of  his  hearers,  who  were 
statedly  the  members  of  the  college,  yet,  when  the  subject  admitted 
of  oratorical  display,  he  showed  himself  equal  to  the  highest  efforts 
of  the  art.     His  sublime  conceptions  of  the  Deity,  especially  of  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

divine  attributes  of  love  and  mercy,  on  which  he  dehghted  to  dwell, 
when  embodied  in  his  powerful  and  impressive  language,  were  only- 
second  to  those  of  the  great  English  epic  poet ;  while  in  touches  of 
pathos,  particularly  in  his  funeral  discourses,  or  over  the  premature 
grave  of  youthful  genius,  he  opened  a  direct  and  easy  avenue  to  the 
stoutest  heart,  and  his  appeals  were  irresistible.  His  voice  was 
clear,  distinct,  and  loud,  and  its  inflections,  although  few,  were 
musical  and  agreeable ;  the  only  defect  in  his  elocution  was,  too 
marked  and  frequent  an  emphasis,  and  too  little  variety  in  his  tones ; 
but  his  manner  was  dignified,  earnest,  and  impressive,  evincing 
sincere  and  ardent  piety,  and  a  feeling  heart.  The  effect  of  his 
eloquence  was  enhanced  by  his  fine  personal  appearance,  graceful 
gestures,  and  an  eye  of  fire. 

In  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow  men  and  his  "  walk  with  God," 
he  was  every  thing  which  the  most  devout  Christian  or  rigid  moralist 
could  desire  ;  and  when  he  expired,  our  country  was  bereaved  of  a 
great  and  good  man,  and  learning  and  religion  sustained  a  loss  not 
easily  to  be  supplied.  * 


JDKL     HARLOW. 


5^^Z^ 


JOEL     BARLOW. 


This  distinguished  poet,  philosopher,  and  poUtician,  was  bom  in  the 
village  of  Reading,  in  Connecticut,  about  the  year  1755.  At  an 
early  age,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father,  a  respectable 
farmer,  in  moderate  circumstances,  who  left  a  family  of  ten  child- 
ren, with  only  a  slender  patrimony  for  their  support.  But  the 
education  of  young  Barlow  was  not  neglected  on  this  account, 
and  after  going  through  his  preparatory  studies,  he  was  placed  by 
his  guardians  at  Dartmouth  college.  New  Hampshire,  where  he 
remained  a  short  time,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Yale  college, 
New  Haven.  He  here  displayed  a  talent  for  poetical  composition, 
which  attracted  the  notice  of  Dr.  Dwight,  then  a  tutor  in  the  college, 
and  perhaps,  the  flattering  encouragement  he  received  from  tliis 
distinguished  man,  fixed  the  character  of  his  future  life,  over  which, 
through  all  its  vicissitudes,  a  devotion  to  the  muses  predommated. 

At  this  period,  the  revolutionary  war  was  raging,  and  young 
Barlow,  impelled  by  patriotism,  and  that  enthusiasm  which  formed 
a  marked  trait  in  his  character,  took  up  arms  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  entering  as  a  volunteer  in  the  militia  ranks  of  his  native 
state.  He,  however,  still  continued  a  member  of  the  college,  and 
only  sallied  into  the  field  during  the  vacations.  He  was  engaged  in 
various  encounters  with  the  enemy,  and  is  said  to  have  borne  a  part 
in  the  warmly  contested  battle  of  White  Plains. 

In  1778,  he  received  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts,  and  on  that 
occasion,  pronounced  an  original  poem,  which  was  afterwards  pub- 
lished. On  leaving  college,  he  made  choice  of  the  profession  of  the 
law,  and  entered  zealously  upon  its  studies,  but  relinquished  them  in 
a  few  months,  on  being  strongly  urged  by  his  friends  to  qualify 
himself  for  the  Christian  ministry,  with  a  view  to  enter  the  army  as 
a  chaplain  ;  and  after  only  six  weeks  preparation,  he  was  licensed, 
and  immediately  repaired  to  the  camp  to  commence  upon  his  new 
duties  ;  in  the  performance  of  which,  he  gave  general  satisfaction, 
and  was  much  respected  as  a  preacher.     He,  however,  did  not  neglect 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

the  muse,  but  employed  his  leisure  in  composing  the  "Vision  of 
Columbus,"  which  afterwards  formed  the  basis  of  his  great  epic 
poem,  "  the  Columbiad ;"  and  occasionally  wrote  patriotic  songs  and 
addresses,  in  conjunction  with  Dr.  Dwight,  also  a  chaplain  in  the 
army,  and  Colonel  Humphreys,  which  are  supposed  to  have  had  a 
considerable  influence  in  exciting  and  keeping  alive  the  enthusiasm 

of  the  soldiery. 

On  taking  the  degree  of  master  of  arts,  in  1781,  he  recited  another 
original  poem,  entitled  the  "Prospect  of  Peace,"  which  he  afterwards 
incorporated  in  the  Vision  of  Columbus,  and  which  appears  with 
some  alterations  in  the  Columbiad.  About  this  period,  he  married 
Miss  Baldwin,  a  daughter  of  the  Honorable  Abraham  Baldwin,  then 
of  New  Haven,  and  subsequently  of  Georgia,  which  state  he  repre- 
sented for  many  years  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States. 

Barlow  remained  with  the  army  until  the  acknowledgment  of  our 
independence  in  1 783,  when  he  abandoned  the  clerical  profession, 
and  reverted  to  his  original  plan  of  pursuing  that  of  the  law ;  with 
which  view  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Hartford,  where  he  settled 
himself,  as  he  probably  imagined,  for  life.  In  addition  to  his  legal 
pursuits,  and  for  the  purpose  of  immediate  support,  he  established 
a  weekly  paper,  and  gained  considerable  reputation  by  various 
orio-inal  articles  upon  the  subject  of  politics,  which  were  novelties 

at  that  day. 

About  the  same  period,  he  was  employed  by  an  association  of  the 
clergy  of  Connecticut,  to  revise  Dr.  Watts'  version  of  the  Psalms,  so 
as  to  adapt  them  to  the  new  order  of  things  in  our  country ;  which 
service  he  performed  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  churches  ;  and  he  also 
added  some  original  hymns  of  his  own  composition,  besides  versi- 
fying some  Psalms  which  had  been  omitted  by  Dr.  Watts.     A  distin- 
guished critic*  has  said  of  one  of  these— the  hundred  and  thirty- 
seventh  Psalm,— that  it  possesses  "all  the  elegance  and  polish  of 
language  of  the  most  highly  finished  modern  poetry."     The  volume 
was  published  in  1786,  and  was  used  for  many  years  as  the  author- 
ized version  of  the  Congregational  Churches  of  New  England.     In 
the  following  year,  the  "  Vision  of  Columbus"  was  published,  with  a 
dedication  to  Louis   XVI.,   and,   in  a  few  months  afterwards,   it 
was  reprinted  both  in  London  and  Paris.     He  now  relinquished 
his  newspaper,  and  opened  a  bookstore,  principally  for  the  purpose 


*  See  "  Biography  of  Joel  Barlow,"  published  in  the  Analectic  Magazine,  in  1814. 


JOEL  BARLOW. 

of  disposing  of  his  own  productions.  This  object  being  accom- 
plished, he  again  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law ;  but  his  success 
in  this  arduous  profession  was  not  very  flattering ;  he  was  deficient 
in  forensic  abilities,  and  his  previous  desultory  studies  and  varied 
pursuits  were  certainly  not  friendly  to  the  acquisition  of  profound 
legal  knowledge.  He  soon  abandoned  the  bar,  and  engaged  in  other 
scenes,  which  led  him  from  his  native  country,  and  at  length  to 
fortune,  and  a  wider  fame. 

In  1788,  he  embarked  for  Europe,  charged  with  an  important  land 
agency,  and  after  passing  a  short  time  in  England,  he  crossed  over 
to  France,  where  he  concluded  his  agency  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
employers,  but  without  much  pecuniary  advantage  to  himself  The 
revolution  was  then  in  progress;  and  embued  as  he  was  with  repub- 
lican principles,  and  enthusiastic  by  character,  he  was  induced  to 
remain  in  that  country,  in  order  to  watch  the  development  of  the 
grand  drama,  which,  we  doubt  not,  he  sincerely  believed  would  result 
in  the  happiness  of  the  people,  by  the  overthrow  of  corrupt  and 
despotic  power. 

In  1791,  he  returned  to  England,  where  he  remained  a  year  or 
more,  and  published  the  first  part  of  a  political  work  entitled  "  Advice 
to  the  Privileged  Orders,"  which,  with  the  addition  of  a  second  part, 
has  since  been  several  times  reprinted.  This  publication  attracted 
the  notice  of  the  celebrated  Mr.  Fox,  who  pronounced  a  formal  eulogy 
upon  it  in  the  house  of  commons.  In  1792,  he  published  a  short 
poem  entitled  "  Conspiracy  of  Kings,"  which  was  suggested  by  the 
coalition  of  the  European  sovereigns  against  republican  France.  In 
the  same  year  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  national  convention,  in 
which  he  criticises  their  first  constitution,  and  recommends  the  abo- 
lition of  the  royal  power,  and  the  severance  of  church  and  state. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  same  year,  the  London  constitutional 
society,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  voted  an  address  to  the  national 
convention,  and  deputed  Mr.  Barlow  and  another  member  to  present 
it.  He  was  received  in  France  with  great  respect,  and  complimented 
with  the  rights  of  citizenship,  an  honor  which  had  been  conferred 
upon  General  Washington  and  General  Hamilton. 

From  this  period.  Barlow,  for  a  time,  fixed  his  residence  in 
France,  fearing,  as  is  supposed,  to  return  to  England,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  resentment  of  the  government  being  pointed  against 
him,  on  account  of  his  political  writings  and  connections  in  that 
country.  He  afterwards  accompanied  a  deputation  of  the  conven- 
tion to  the  newly  acquired  territory  of  Savoy,  to  organize  it  as  a 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

department  of  the  republic.  He  spent  the  winter  at  Chamberry, 
where,  at  the  request  of  his  friends  of  the  convention,  he  wrote  aji 
address  to  the  people  of  Piedmont,  recommending  them  to  throw  off 
their  alleg-iance  to  "  the  man  of  Turin,  who  called  himself  their  king." 
During  this  winter  he  wrote  the  poem,  entitled,  "  Hasty  Pudding ;"' 
which  is  one  of  the  happiest  of  his  productions,  and  shews,  that 
wherever  he  was  a  wanderer,  and  in  whatever  scenes  he  was 
engaged,  there  existed  in  his  mind  endearing  recollections  of  child- 
hood and  of  home.  This  poem,  by  an  excess  of  eulogy,  perhaps, 
has  been  compared  to  Goldsmith's  "  Deserted  Village." 

From  Savoy  he  returned  to  Paris,  where  he  continued  to  reside 
for  three  years,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  translation  of  Yolney's 
Ruins,  forebore  all  literary  occupation.  He,  however,  engaged  in 
various  commercial  speculations,  by  which  he  realized  a  handsome 
fortune.  About  the  year  1 795,  he  was  sent  as  an  agent  on  private 
business  to  the  north  of  Europe,  and  soon  after  his  return,  he  received 
from  President  Washington  the  appointment  of  consul  to  Algiers, 
with  powers  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  dey,  and  to 
ransom  all  American  citizens  held  in  slavery  on  the  coast  of  Barbary. 
He  immediately  proceeded  on  his  mission,  crossing  through  Spain, 
over  to  Algiers.  He  concluded  treaties  with  the  dey,  and  with  Tunis 
and  Tripoli,  and  redeemed  and  sent  home  all  the  American  captives 
whom  he  could  discover,  amounting  to  about  one  hundred. 

In  1797,  he  resigned  his  consulship,  and  returned  to  Paris,  where 
he  again  entered  into  successful  commercial  speculations,  devoting 
his  leisure  to  political  writings,  and  in  1805,  after  an  absence  of 
nearly  seventeen  years,  he  returned  to  his  native  country,  with  the 
determination  of  fixing  his  residence  in  it  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

With  this  view,  he  chose  a  beautiful  situation  within  the  District 
of  Columbia,  and  reared  upon  it  a  mansion,  which  he  dignified  with 
the  name  of  Kalorama ;  here  he  lived  in  an  elegant  and  hospitable 
manner,  associating  on  terms  of  intimacy  and  friendship,  with  our 
most  distinguished  citizens.  But  the  native  energies  of  his  character 
would  not  permit  him  to  remain  idle,  and  he  immediately  engaged 
with  great  zeal  in  sundry  efforts  for  the  advancement  of  science  and 
the  arts  among  his  countrymen.  One  of  his  schemes  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  national  academy,  to  be  under  the  patronage  of  the 
general  government,  and  similar  to  the  National  Institute  of  France. 
This  had  been  a  favorite  project  with  Washington,  and  also  received 
the  approbation  of  President  Jefferson ;  but  on  being  laid  before 
congress,  it  failed  to  receive  their  sanction.     Defeated  in  this  effort, 


JOEL  BARLOW. 

he  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  revision  and  pubhcation  of  his 
great  epic,  and  in  1808,  the  Cohimbiad  made  its  appearance  in  a 
splendid  vohnne,  embelHshed  with  several  fine  engravings,  which 
were  executed  in  London  by  the  first  artists.  It  was  dedicated  to 
Robert  Fulton,  with  whom  Barlow  was  on  terms  of  great  intimacy, 
being  accustomed  to  regard  him,  indeed,  as  his  adopted  son.  This 
dedication  was  alike  honorable  to  both,  and  showed  a  better  taste 
than  the  courtly  dedication  of  the  "  Vision  of  Columbus"  to  one  of 
the  monarchs  of  Europe. 

After  the  publication  of  the  Columbiad,  Barlow  employed  himself 
in  makino-  a  collection  of  historical  documents,  with  a  view  of  writing 
a  general  history  of  the  United  States  ;  but  in  ISl.l,  while  occupied 
in  these  quiet  literary  labors,  he  was  unexpectedly  nominated  by 
President  Madison,  minister  plenipotentiary  to  the  court  of  France. 
He  accepted  the  mission,  and  as  is  well  known,  made  every  effort  to 
negotiate  with  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  a  treaty  of  commerce,  and 
of  indemnification  for  former  spoliations,  but  without  effect ;  being 
perpetually  baffled  by  the  intrigues  of  the  French  diplomatists.* 

At  length,  in  October,  in  1812,  he  was  invited  by  the  Duke  de 
Bassano  to  a  personal  conference  with  the  emperor  at  Wilna,  in 
Poland.  He  immediately  started  on  this  journey,  travelling  night 
and  day  in  a  most  inclement  season  of  the  year,  and  through  coun- 
tries wasted  by  war,  and  which  could  scarcely  afford  him  a  com- 
fortable meal.  The  consequence  was,  that  from  his  privations,  and 
exposure  to  the  severities  of  the  weather,  he  was  attacked  with  an 
inflammation  of  the  lungs,  from  which  he  never  recovered.  He  died 
on  the  twenty-second  of  December,  1812,  at  Zarnavica,  an  obscure 
village  in  Poland,  near  Cracow.  He  had  not  reached  his  destination, 
and  consequently  did  not  effect  the  object  of  his  mission,  but  he  is 
entitled  to  much  credit  for  the  energy  and  perseverance  which  he 
manifested  not  to  lose  the  opportunity  of  an  interview  with  the 
emperor,  which  he  was  induced  to  think  would  result  favorably  to 
the  interests  of  his  country. 


*  The  writer  of  this  sketch  has  been  told  by  an  American  gentleman,  who  was  in  Paris  at  the 
time,  and  intimate  with  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  the  Duke  of  Bassano;  that  the  wily  diplomatist 
questioned  him  about  the  peculiar  traits  of  Mr.  Barlow's  character.  The  gentleman,  who  personally 
knew  Mr.  Barlow,  candidly  replied  that  he  believed  the  American  minister  possessed  the  ordinary 
vanity  of  men  in  general,  and  besides,  being  an  author  and  a  poet,  he  doubtless  had  his  share  of  the 
professional  egotism  of  his  class.  The  duke,  it  is  said,  immediately  procured  one  of  the  splendid 
copies  of  the  Columbiad,  and  caused  it  to  be  placed  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  his  library,  where  it 
could  not  fail  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  autlior  on  his  interviews. 

5 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

In  Paris,  every  honor  was  paid  to  his  memory  as  a  man  of  letters, 
and  a  distinguished  puhUc  functionary.  The  celebrated  Helen  Maria 
Williams  wrote  his  epitaph,  and  an  eulogy  was  read  before  the 
society  for  the  encouragement  of  national  industry,  by  Dupont  de 
Nemours.  In  the  following  year,  an  account  of  his  life  and  writings, 
in  quarto,  was  published  in  Paris,  accompanied  by  an  extract  from 
the  Columbiad,  translated  into  French  heroic  verse. 

Mr.  Barlow  is  described  as  having  been  an  amiable  man  in  private 
life,  of  domestic  habits,  and  of  grave  and  dignified,  but  not  courtly 
manners.  He  was  reserved  in  mixed  company,  having  little  spright- 
liness  or  facility  of  general  conversation ;  but  upon  subjects  which 
excited  him,  or  formed  the  theme  of  his  studies,  he  conversed  with 
animation  and  interest.  His  mind  was  of  a  philosophical  cast,  and 
better  fitted  for  the  examination  of  matters  requiring  patient  and 
profound  thought,  than  to  "  wander  in  fancy's  fairy  fields." 

Barlow's  prose  style  has  been  correctly  described  as  perspicuous 
and  forcible,  as  bearing  the  stamp  of  an  active,  acute,  and  powerful 
mind,  confident  of  its  own  strength,  but  without  native  grace,  and 
with  little  elaborate  elegance ;  while  much  of  his  poetry  is  highly 
polished,  and  sometimes  magnificent,  although  it  may  seem  to  lack 
somewhat  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  muse.  It  was  judiciously 
modelled  after  the  poetry  of  Pope  and  of  Goldsmith,  and  is  always 
correct  in  its  versification.  Although  Barlow  may  not  rank  among 
the  few  distinguished  epic  poets  who  have  appeared  in  the  world  at 
rare  intervals,  still,  in  the  opinion  of  many,  he  is  to  be  classed,  if  not 
as  the  best  poet,  at  least  among  the  best,  which  our  country  has  pro- 
duced. How  many  of  the  modern  English  poets,  who  have  attempted 
to  write  an  epic,  are  his  superiors,  we  leave  the  critics  to  judge. 

Upon  the  whole,  from  his  superior  natural  genius,  which  was  early 
noted  and  acknowledged,  his  expanded  knowledge  of  the  world,  his 
moral,  philosophical,  and  political  disquisitions,  the  public  stations 
which  he  held,  his  pure  and  ardent  patriotism,  developed  in  the 
revolution,  and  sustained  throughout  his  life  ;  his  staunch,  orthodox, 
and  unbending  republican  principles;  his  poetic  talents,  and  polished 
productions ;  the  amiability  and  benevolence  of  his  private  character, 
and  purity  of  his  public  life :  Joel  Barlow  well  deserves,  and  will 
maintain,  an  elevated  rank  amon^  the  distinguished  men  of  our 
country. 


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JOHN    TRUMBULL. 


Op  the  ease  and  ability  with  which  our  countrymen  adapt  their 
talents  to  a  variety  of  pursuits,  we  have  already  given  some  examples ; 
the  present  subject  affords  another  illustration  of  that  pecuKar  trait  of 
American  character. 

John  Trumbull  was  born  in  Lebanon,  Connecticut,  on  the  6th 
of  June,  1756.  He  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  first  Governor 
Trumbull ;  his  mother's  maiden  name  was  Faith  Robinson,  the  fifth 
in  descent  from  the  Reverend  John  Robinson,  often  called  the  father 
of  the  pilgrims,  whose  son  came  into  the  country  in  the  year  1621. 
The  carelessness  or  ignorance  of  the  family  physician  had  nearly 
consigned  our  infant  genius  to  a  life  of  idiocy,  or  an  early  grave; 
after  being  afflicted  with  convulsions  nine  months,  it  was  discovered 
that  the  bones  of  his  skull  had  been  allowed  to  remain  lapped  over 
each  other  from  his  birth,  but  by  skilful  applications,  and  maternal 
care,  they  were  adjusted,  and,  as  we  have  heard  him  express  it  with 
filial  veneration,  "  he  owed  his  life  a  second  time  to  his  mother." 
At  Lebanon,  he  went  to  school  to  Nathan  Tisdale.  He  received, 
under  the  tuition  of  this  gentleman,  an  excellent  education,  and 
entered  the  junior  class  at  Harvard  college,  in  January,  1772,  and 
graduated  in  1773.  Finding  himself  to  be  a  better  scholar  than 
those  with  whom  he  was  associated,  he  was  not  a  very  diligent 
student,  and  to  amuse  himself,  he  frequently  visited  a  respectable 
French  family  in  the  neighborhood,  and  learned  to  read  and  write 
their  language.  He  searched  the  college  library  for  books  on  the 
arts,  and  amongst  them  found  Brook  Taylor's  "  Jesuites'  Perspective 
Made  Easy"  ;  this  work  he  studied  thoroughly,  and  copied  all  the 
diagrams.  He  in  the  same  period  copied  several  pictures  which  the 
college  possessed :  among  others,  an  irruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius, 
and  a  copy  by  Smybert,  of  Van  Dyck's  Head  of  Cardinal  Bentivoglio. 
He  had,  before  he  went  to  college,  somewhere  picked  up  the  title 
page  of  a  book  called  "  The  Handmaid  to  the  Arts,"  and  had  obtained 
a  copy  of  the  work  from  London,  so  that  we  may  suppose  his  early 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

paintings  were  not  the  rude  daubs  of  an  ignorant  boy.  At  this  time 
Copley  was  in  Boston,  and  Trumbull's  first  visit  to  that  distin- 
guished artist  happened  to  be  made  at  a  time,  when  he  was  enter- 
taining his  friends  shortly  after  his  marriage :  he  was  dressed  on  the 
occasion,  in  a  suit  of  crimson  velvet  with  gold  buttons,  and  the 
elegance  of  his  style  and  his  high  repute,  impressed  the  future  artist 
with  grand  ideas  of  a  painter's  life.  After  leaving  college,  he  painted 
his  first  original  picture,  the  Battle  of  Cannse,  and  soon  after,  the 
Judgment  of  Brutus.  But  at  this  time,  the  stirring  incidents  of  the 
controversy  with  Great  Britain,  attracted  the  attention  of  all  ages 
and  all  ranks,  and  Trumbull  abandoned  the  palette  and  became  an 
active  politician.  His  father  wished  him  to  become  a  clergyman, 
but  the  son  not  liking  the  profession,  gave  the  reins  to  his  patriotic 
zeal,  and  was  made  adjutant  in  the  first  Connecticut  regiment,  which 
was  stationed  at  Roxbury.  Here  his  drawing  became  of  service. 
Washington  was  desirous  to  obtain  a  draft  of  the  enemy's  works, 
and  hearing  of  the  young  adjutant's  ability,  he  requested  him  to 
attempt  it.  By  cautious  approaches,  he  had  succeeded  in  obtaining 
a  knowledge  of  the  position  of  every  gun,  and  had  proceeded  in  his 
drawing,  when  a  deserter  came  into  the  camp  and  communicated  all 
that  was  necessary  to  be  known  and  a  slight  sketch  of  the  works, 
which  confirmed  Trumbull's,  so  far  as  he  had  gone.     In  August, 

1775,  he  was  appointed  aid-de-camp  to  the  commander-in-chief,  and 
after  some  two  or  three  months,  major  of  brigade.  In  that  situation, 
he  became  more  particularly  known  to  the  adjutant-general.  Gates,  by 
the  careful  accuracy  of  his  returns ;  and  in  the  following  year  that 
officer  having  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  northern  depart- 
ment, he  was  induced  to  offer  Trumbull  the  office  of  adjutant-general. 
He  accompanied  the  army  to  New  York,  and  on  the  28th  of  June, 

1776,  departed  with  General  Gates;  at  which  date  his  rank  as  colonel 
and  adjutant-general  commenced.  Shortly  after  their  arrival  at  Ti- 
conderoga,  he  reconnoitered  Mount  Independence,  which  had  not  at 
that  time  been  explored ;  and  he  again  more  fully  examined  it  as  a 
military  position,  in  company  with  General  Wayne,  which  led  to  its 
occupation.  While  here,  he  was  impressed  with  the  belief  that  the 
whole  position  was  commanded  by  Mount  Defiance,  (Sugar-loaf  Hill,) 
a  height  situated  nearly  at  an  equal  distance  from  Mount  Indepen- 
dence and  Ticonderoga,  and  he  took  an  occasion  to  mention  his 
opinion ;  but  his  suggestion  was  not  acted  upon,  and  the  next  cam- 
paign. General  St.  Clair  was  left  to  defend  the  original  lines  with 
three  thousand  men.     The  British  took  possession  of  Mount  De- 


JOHN  TRUMBULL. 

fiance,  from  which,  according  to  their   own  account,  they  could 
observe  every  movement  of  the  Americans  within  their  hnes.     The 
abandonment  of  the  entire  position  became  immediately  necessary, 
and  St.  Clair  deserved  great  praise  for  his  well-conducted  retreat,  by 
which  the  army  was  saved  from  capture,  and  became  the  nucleus  of 
that  force,  which  afterwards  prostrated  the  British  power  in  the 
northern  department.     In  the  mean  time,  the  adjutant-general  had 
remained  without  a  commission :  this  rendered  his  situation  pecu- 
liarly painful,  and  what  rendered  it  more  so  was,  that  other  and 
inferior  officers  did  receive  commissions,  giving  them  rank  equal  to 
his  own.     After  the  termination  of  the  campaign  of  1776,  General 
Gates  received  orders  from  the  commander-in-chief  to  join  him  with 
all  his  disposable  force  behind  the  Delaware,  which  he  did,  a  few 
days  before  the  battle  of  Trenton.     News  was  at  that  time  received, 
that  the  British  had  landed  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  with  consider- 
able force.     General  Arnold  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Rhode  Island 
to  assume  the  command  of  the  militia  and  oppose  the  enemy,  and 
Trumbull  was  ordered  to   accompany  him  as   adjutant-general. 
The  head  quarters  were  established  at  Providence  for  the  winter, 
and  there,  in  the  month  of  March,  he  received  his  commission  as 
adjutant-general,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  but  dated  in  September, 
instead  of  the  previous  June.     Whatever  was  the  cause  of  this  is. 
unknown ;  but  it  added  to  the  chagrin  and  vexation  of  the  officer 
commissioned,  and  within  an  hour  he  returned  it,  under  cover,  to 
the  president  of  congress,  accompanied  with  a  letter,  perhaps  too 
concise  and  laconic,  stating  the  impossibility  of  serving,  unless  the 
date  was  altered  to  correspond  with  the  date  of  his  actual  service. 
A  correspondence  of  some  length  ensued,  when  his  resignation  was 
accepted,  and  thus  terminated  his  military  career. 

After  a  short  visit  to  Lebanon,  he  went  to  Boston,  to  profit  by  the 
study  of  the  works  of  Copley  and  others.  Here  he  became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  John  Temple,  afterwards,  the  first  consul-general  of  Great 
Britain  to  the  United  States ;  through  him  he  ascertained  the  possi- 
bility of  his  going  in  safety  to  London,  to  study  under  Mr.  West.  In 
May,  1780,  he  embarked  for  France,  and  after  a  short  stay  at  Paris, 
reached  London  in  August.  He  was  kindly  received  by  Mr.  West, 
under  whose  liberal  instruction,  he  pursued  his  studies  without  inter- 
ruption until  about  the  middle  of  November ;  at  that  time,  the  news 
of  the  death  of  Major  Andre  was  received,  and  occasioned  a  violent 
irritation  in  the  public  mind.  It  was  his  misfortune  to  lodge  in  the 
same  house  with  another  American,  who  had  been  an  officer,  against 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

whom  a  warrant  had  been  issued  to  apprehend  him  for  high  treason ; 
instructions  had  been  given  to  arrest,  (ad  interim,)  the  painter,  and 
secure  his  papers.     The  following  day,  he  was  examined  before  the 
principal  magistrates  of  the  police,  and  was  committed  to  prison. 
On  hearing  this,  the  apprehensions  of  Mr.  West  were  aroused,  for  he 
well  knew  that  he  had  enemies  about  the  person  of  the  king ;  he, 
therefore,  hastened  to  the  palace  and  asked  an  audience,  which  was 
granted,  and  he  proceeded  to  state  to  the  king  his  personal  knowledge 
of  the  conduct  of  Trumbull  while  in  London.     After  listening  to 
him  patiently,  the  king  replied;  "  West,  I  have  known  you  long,  and 
I  dont  know  that  I  have  ever  received  any  incorrect  information  from 
you  on  any  subject,  I,  therefore,  fully  beheve  all  that  you  have  said 
on  the  present  occasion.    I  sincerely  regret  the  situation  of  the  young 
man,  but  I  cannot  do  any  thing  to  assist  him,— he  is  in  the  power  of 
the  law,  and  I  cannot  interfere.    Are  his  parents  living  ?"     To  which 
Mr.  West  answered  that  his  father  was.     "  Then  I  most  sincerely 
pity  him,"  said  the  king.      After  a  moment's  pause  he  continued, 
"  Go  immediately  to  Mr.  Trumbull,  and  give  him  my  royal  assur- 
ance, that  in  the  worst  possible  event  of  the  law,  his  life  will  be  safe.'' 
This  assurance  of  course,  softened  in  a  great  degree,  the  rigors  of  a 
winter's  confinement,  and  enabled  him  to  proceed  with  his  studies. 
He  copied,  during  the  period,  the  St.  Jerome  of  Correggio,  which  is 
now  in  the  collection  at  Yale  college.     At  length  a  turn  took  place 
in  the  aifairs  of  the  two  countries,  and  the  British  government  began 
to  relax  their  severity.     Trumbull,  after  about  eight  months  deten- 
tion, was  admitted  to  bail  by  a  special  order  of  the  king  in  council, 
on  condition  of  quitting  the  kingdom  within  thirty  days.     His  secu- 
rities were  West  and  Copley.     He  crossed  over  to  Ostend,  thence 
proceeded  to  Amsterdam,  and  embarked  for  Philadelphia  in   the 
South  Carolina  frigate;  but  the  ship  falling  short  of  water  and  provi- 
sions, they  put  into  Corunna,  in  Spain.     There  he  left  that  ship,  and 
took  passage  to  Bilboa,  whence  he  returned  home  in  January,  1782. 
Fatigue,  vexation,  and  disappointment,  brought  on  a  fit  of  illness, 
which  confined  him  at  his  father's  the  principal  part  of  the  ensuing 
summer  ;  after  which,  he  again  visited  the  army,  then  at  Verplank's 
Point,  and  entered  into  an  arrangement  with  his  brother  and  others, 
for  the  supply  of  the  army. 

In  the  spring  of  1783  the  news  arrived  of  the  preliminaries  of 
peace  having  been  arranged.  He  was  then  at  Lebanon,  and  his 
father  took  the  occasion  to  urge  him  to  pursue  the  profession  of  the 
law.     He  represented  it  as  the  leading  profession  in  a  republic,  and 


JOHN  TRUMBULL. 

above  all  others  likely  to  reward  industry  and  gratify  ambition.  To 
which  his  son  replied  ;  that  so  far  as  he  understood  the  law,  it  was 
rendered  necessary  by  the  vices  of  mankind ;  that  a  lawyer  must  be 
able,  not  only  to  defend  the  right,  but  must  be  equally  distinguished 
for  his  acuteness  and  skill  in  extricating  rogues  from  the  conse- 
quences of  their  villainy ;  and  as  he  viewed  the  life  of  a  lawyer,  it 
must  be  passed  in  the  midst  of  all  the  wickednesses  and  meannesses 
of  the  baser  part  of  mankind  :  he  then  went  on  to  give  his  ideas  of 
an  artist's  life— referred  to  Copley  and  West  as  living  examples, 
and  enlarged  on  the  honors  and  rewards  bestowed  on  artists  by  the 
ancients,  particularly  at  Athens.  "  My  son,"  replied  the  governor, 
"  you  have  made  an  excellent  argument,  but  its  operation  is  against 
yourself :  it  serves  to  satisfy  me,  that  in  the  profession  of  the  law 
you  might  take  a  respectable  stand,  but  in  your  case  you  have 
omitted  one  point,  as  the  lawyers  express  it."  What  is  that,  sir?  — 
"  That  Connecticut  is  not  Athens."  He  then  bowed,  left  the  room, 
and  never  afterwards  interfered  in  the  choice  of  a  profession. 

In  November,  1783,  Colonel  Trumbull  again  embarked  for 
England,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  indefatigably  under  Mr. 
West ;  and  in  1785,  had  made  such  progress,  as  to  copy  for  him  his 
celebrated  picture  of  the  battle  of  La  Hogue.  Trumbull  composed 
and  painted  immediately  afterwards,  "  Priam  bearing  back  to  his 
palace  the  body  of  Hector :"  the  success  of  which  induced  him  to 
commence  a  project  which  had  long  been  floating  in  his  mind,  of 
painting  a  series  of  pictures  of  the  principal  scenes  of  the  revolution. 
He  began  with  "  The  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,"  which  was  composed 
and  finished  in  the  early  part  of  1786,  and  "  The  Death  of  Montgo- 
mery before  (Quebec"  immediately  afterward.  These  pictures  met 
with  general  approbation  not  only  in  London,  but  in  Paris,  Berlin, 
Dresden,  and  other  parts  of  the  continent,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
they  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  eminent  engravers.  To  Mr. 
Adams  in  London,  and  Mr.  Jefferson  in  Paris,  while  painting  their 
portraits,  the  artist  communicated  his  project  of  painting  a  series  of 
national  pictures,  which  they  highly  approved,  and  by  their  concur- 
rence the  subjects  were  chosen,  several  of  which  have  since  been 
executed.  Finding  the  painting  of  Bunker  Hill  had  given  offence  to 
some  in  London,  and  being  desirous  to  conciliate,  he  determined  to 
paint  one  subject  from  British  history,  and  selected  "  The  sortie  of 
the  garrison  of  Gibraltar."  Of  this  subject,  the  first  study  was 
made  in  oil,  twelve  by  sixteen  inches;  this  was  presented  to  Mr. 
West  as  an  acknowledgment  for  his   kindness ;    then   a  second, 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

twenty  by  thirty  inches  was  carefully  and  laboriously  finished,  with 
the  intention  of  having  it  engraved  :*  being  tenacious  of  rendering 
the  composition  as  perfect  as  in  his  power,  he  rejected  that  picture, 
and  began  another  six  feet  by  nine.  This  occupied  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  1788,  and  in  the  spring  of  '89,  it  was  exhibited  by  itself 
in  Spring  Garden,  London,  and  received  great  applause.  It  was  en- 
graved by  Sharp,  the  first  engraver  of  the  age  ;  and  has  since  been 
purchased  by  the  Atheneum  at  Boston. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  present  constitution  of  the  United  States  had 
been  framed,  and  the  first  session  of  congress  was  appointed  to  be 
held  in  New  York,  in  December,  1789;  the  time  had  arrived,  there- 
fore, for  proceeding  with  the  American  pictures.  He  arrived  in  New 
York  in  November  of  that  year,  and  painted  as  many  of  the  heads 
of  the  signers  of  the  declaration  of  independence,  as  were  present. 
Washington  sat  for  his  portrait  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  and  in  the 
summer  of  1790,  Trumbull  painted  a  full  length  portrait  of  him 
for  the  city  of  New  York.  Two  years  after,  he  painted  another  full 
length  of  Washington,  for  the  city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
and  a  third  was  purchased  by  the  Connecticut  Society  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati, and  presented  to  the  college  at  New  Haven.  This  latter 
picture  is  regarded  by  the  artist,  as  the  finest  portrait  of  General 
Washington,  in  existence.  It  represents  him  at  the  most  critical 
moment  of  his  life — on  the  evening  before  the  battle  of  Princeton, 
meditating  his  retreat  from  a  superior  enemy.  A  few  other  portraits 
were  painted  about  this  time,  but  the  years  1791-2-3  were  principally 
spent  in  painting  original  portraits  for  the  historical  pictures.  In  the 
accomplishment  of  his  great  design,  he  travelled  from  New  Hamp- 
shire to  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  The  heads  in  the  small  set  of 
pictures,  now  at  New  Haven,  were  all  painted  at  this  period  from  the 
living  men.  Having  accomplished  his  object  of  obtaining  authentic 
portraits  of  all  the  subjects  required,  he  again  left  his  native  land,  in 
the  capacity  of  private  secretary  to  Mr.  Jay,  the  envoy  extraordinary 
to  Great  Britain,  in  1794. 

Difficulties  had  existed  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  ever  since  the  war,  of  the  most  embarrassing  character. 


*  This  picture  was  sold  to  Sir  Francis  Baring,  for  five  hundred  guineas,  who  contracted 
for  the  purchase  of  a  series  of  pictures  of  American  subjects,  at  the  same  price ;  subject 
to  the  contingency  of  the  approbation  of  the  higher  powers.  He  found  that  the  posses- 
sion of  the  proposed  pictures  would  give  offence  in  a  very  high  quarter,  and  he,  therefore, 
retracted. 

6 


JOHN  TRUMBULL. 

The  negotiations  ended  in  a  treaty,  signed  November,  1794.     The 
manner  in  which  Mr.  Jay  conducted  those  negotiations,  rendered  the 
duties  of  the  secretary  merely  nominal,  and  he  had  leisure  to  attend 
to  the  engraving  of  his  three  large  copper  plates,  at  that  time  m 
progress  in  London,  and  at  Stutgard,  in  Germany,  at  an  expense  of 
upwards  of  three  thousand  guineas.     After  the  treaty  was  signed, 
Trumbull  went  to  Paris,  and  he  soon  saw  from  the  condition  of  the 
continent  that  all  hope  of  profit  from  the  sale  of  engravings  was  at  an 
end ;  in  consequence  of  which,  he  gave  up  his  professional  pursuits, 
and  embarked  in  commerce,  until  August,  1796,  when  he  returned  to 
England,  and  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  that  month,  he  was  appointed 
the  fifth  commissioner  for  the  execution  of  the  seventh  article  of 
Mr.  Jay's  treaty.     This  placed  him  in  a  new  and  diflicult  situation : 
the  British  commissioners.  Sir  John  Nicholl  and  John  Anstey,  Esq., 
and  the  two  Americans,  Mr.  Gore  and  Mr.  Pinckney,  were  all  dis- 
tinguished lawyers.     It  was  easy  to  foresee,  that  these  gentlemen 
would  frequently  differ  with  respect  to  the  rights  of  their  respective 
countries;  and  it  would  remain  with  the  fifth  commissioner  to  decide; 
an  arduous  duty  for  one  who  had  not  been  educated  for  the  legal 
profession,  and  it  placed  him  under  the  necessity  of  going  through 
a  course  of  reading,  on  the  law  of  nations  and  maritime  law. 

Multitudes   of   complaints   were  made  by  the  subjects  of  both 
nations,  and  were  carefully  examined  and  decisions  made  on  each 
separate  case,  on  its  own  merits.     The  commission  was  not  con- 
cluded until  the  beginning  of  the  year  1804.     The«  number  of  cases 
examined  amounted  to  between  three  and  four  hundred ;  and  the 
amount  awarded  to  be  paid  by  the  British  government  exceeded  ten 
millions  of  dollars,  which  were  punctually  paid :  the  awards  against 
the  United  States  amounted  to  about  half  a  million.     In  all  cases  of 
importance,  written  opinions  were  recorded  ;  one  copy  of  which  is 
in  the  hands  of  Colonel  Trumbull.     The  principles  laid  down  and 
acted  upon  in  those  cases,  will  hereafter  form  an  important  part  of 
the  maritime  law  of  nations,  and  have  already  been  of  value  to 
many  individuals,  hi  the  settlement  of  claims  against  the  Russian 
and  other  governments.     The  important  station  of  the  fifth  commis- 
sioner, who  was  the  umpire  between  parties  dififermg  on  almost  every 
point,  required  all  his  skill  to  harmonize  them,  and  it  may,  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  be  concluded,  that  to  his  prudence  and  firmness 
the  favorable  results  are  to  be  mainly  attributed. 

In  June,  1804,  Colonel  Trumbull  returned  to  the  United  States, 
and  resumed  his  pencil  in  New  York.     After  a  residence  of  about 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

four  years,  the  embarrassment  of  commerce  affected  his  profession 
so  deeply,  that  he  determined  to  seek  employment  abroad.  He 
accordingly  went  to  London,  where  he  painted  a  number  of  pictures, 
with  the  hope  of  attracting  some  attention,  but  so  unpopular  was 
every  thing  American,  that  he  failed  completely.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  returned  for  the  last  time  to  New  York,  and  in  1816  he  was 
engaged  by  the  government  to  paint  the  four  large  pictures  now  in 
the  rotunda  of  the  capitol  at  Washington,  on  which  he  was  occupied 
seven  years.  Since  which  he  has  been  principally  employed  in 
finishing  his  former  sketches,  and  in  painting  copies  of  his  national 
pictures,  on  a  uniform  scale  of  six  feet  by  nine. 

Finding  the  government  not  likely  to  order  the  complete  series, 
nor  any  individual  desirous  to  possess  them,  he  has  within  the  last 
year  given  the  entire  set  of  the  original  paintings  to  Yale  college, 
and  a  building  has  been  erected  by  "  the  President  and  Fellows"  of 
that  institution  for  their  preservation. 

He  was  elected  President  of  the  American  Academy  of  the  Fine 
Arts,  in  1817,  and  has  been  annually  reelected  to  the  same  office. 

The  numerous  incidents  of  Colonel  Trumbull's  life,  have  brought 
us  to  the  boundary  of  our  allotted  space ;  but  we  should  be  held  un- 
pardonable by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance,  were 
we  entirely  to  omit  every  mark  of  our  high  respect,  beside  that  of 
placing  his  venerable  head  in  our  work.  He  indeed  deserves  more, 
much  more  than  we  can  say  in  this  place,  for  he  is  a  living  model  of 
a  by-gone  generation,  and  is  a  fine  example  of  the  gentlemen  of  the 
old  school ;  with  a  great  degree  of  dignity  and  courtesy  in  his  man- 
ners, he  is  strictly  honorable,  rigidly  abstemious,  frank  in  his  address, 
and  proud  of  his  profession.  From  early  youth  to  an  advanced  age, 
he  has  hle^ided  himself  with  the  history  of  his  country.  We  should 
say,  that  his  name  belongs  equally  to  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
future,  but,  that  we  believe  the  future  will  give  him  a  higher  rank 
than  either  the  present  or  the  past.  The  sword,  the  pen,  and  the 
pencil,  he  has  by  turns  drawn  for  his  country — the  sword  and  the 
pen  were  wielded  in  company  with  others,  but  as  a  painter  of  Ame- 
rican history,  he  stands,  even  at  the  present  day,  almost  alone,  and 
however  many,  his  equals,  may  arise,  he  will  stand  to  all  future 
time  the  first  among  them. 


=rraved  by  A-B.Duraj:id 


^  -j'ali     Goo  dxi 


GILBERT    CITARr.ES     STl'^VRT. 


'^€Z 


K'itered   according  to  the  act  o€  Congreas  in  the  year  1833  "by  Jiones  Herring  in  the    clerkis  office  of  the  Distriot 
Court  of  the  Souihem  District  of  New  York. 


GILBERT    CHARLES    STUART. 


In  this  biographical  sketch  of  the  hfe  and  character  of  Gilbert 
C.  Stuart,  we  shall  avail  ourselves  of  the  very  valuable  information 
afforded  us  by  the  venerable  Dr.  Benjamin  Waterhouse,  of  Cam- 
bridge, the  companion  of  his  childhood  and  his  youth,  and  the 
undeviating  friend  of  his  manhood  and  age;  and  of  such  other 
sources  of  information  as  are  offered  to  us.  Although  our  greatest 
portrait  painter  is  but  recently  dead,  already  the  place  of  his  nativity 
is  disputed,  and  contending  towns  claim  the  honor  of  producing  this 
extraordinary  genius ;  to  Dr.  Waterhouse  we  owe  certainty  on  this 
head ;  and  even  the  time  of  his  birth  would  not  have  been  accu- 
rately determined,  but  that  the  painter  has  inscribed  "  G.  Stuart, 
Pictor,  se  ipso  pinxit,  A.  D.  1778,  ^tatis  sua  24,"  on  a  portrait 
painted  by  himself  and  presented  to  his  friend,  which  remains  a 
monument  of  his  early  skill,  and  is  the  more  precious  as  it  is  the 
only  portrait  he  ever  painted  of  himself  This,  of  course,  gives  us 
the  year  of  his  birth,  1754. 

Between  the  years  1746  and  1750,  there  came  over  from  Great 
Britain  to  these  English  colonies  a  number  of  Scotch  gentlemen, 
who  had  not  the  appearance  of  what  is  generally  understood  by  the 
term  emigrants,  nor  yet  merchants  or  gentlemen  of  fortune.  They 
came  not  in  companies,  but  dropped  in  quietly,  one  after  another. 
Their  unassuming  appearance  and  retired  habits,  bordering  on  the 
reserve,  seemed  to  place  them  above  the  common  class  of  British 
travellers.  Their  mode  of  life  was  snug,  discreet,  and  respectable, 
yet  clannish.  Some  settled  in  Philadelphia,  some  in  Perth  Amboy, 
some  in  New  York ;  but  a  greater  proportion  sat  down  at  tliat  plea- 
sant and  healthy  spot,  Rhode  Island,  called  by  its  first  historiographer, 
Callender,  "  the  Garden  of  America."  Several  of  the  emigrants  were 
professional  men  ;  among  these  was  Dr.  Thomas  Moffat,  a  learned 
physician  of  the  Boerhaavcan  School;  but,  however  learned,  liis 
dress  and  manners  were  so  ill  suited  to  the  plainness  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  Rhode  Island,  who  were  principally  (Quakers,  that  he 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

could  not  make  his  way  among  them  as  a  practitioner,  and  there- 
fore he  looked  round  for  some  other  mode  of  genteel  subsistence  ; 
and  he  hit  upon  that  of  cultivating  tobacco  and  making  snuff,  to 
supply  the  place  of  the  great  quantity  that  was  every  year  imported 
from  Glasgow ;  but  he  could  find  no  man  in  the  country  who  he 
thought  was  able  to  make  him  a  snuff  mill.  He  therefore  wrote  to 
Scotland,  and  obtained  a  competent  mill-wright,  by  the  name  of 
Gilbert  Stuart. 

Dr.  Moffat  selected  for  his  mill  seat  a  proper  stream  in  that  part  of 
the  colony  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  plantations  which  bore 
and  still  bears  the  Indian  name  of  Narraganset,  once  occupied  by 
the  warlike  tribe  of  the  Pequot  Indians,  made  familiar  to  us  by 
the  intensely  interesting  romance  of  our  novelist,  James  Fenimore 
Cooper,  under  the  tide  of  the  "  Last  of  the  Mohicans." 

There,  Gilbert  Stuart,  the  father  of  the  great  painter,  erected  the 
first  snuff  mill  in  New  England,  and  there  he  manufactured  that 
strange  article  of  luxury.  He  soon  after  built  a  house,  and  married 
a  very  handsome  woman,  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Anthony,  a  substantial 
farmer ;  and  of  this  happy  couple,  at  Narraganset,  was  born  Gil- 
bert Charles  Stuart  ;  so  christened,  but  the  middle  name,  which 
betokens  the  Jacobite  principles  of  his  father,  was  early  dropped  by 
the  son,  and  never  used  in  his  days  of  notoriety ;  indeed,  but  for  the 
signatures  of  letters  addressed  to  his  friend  Waterhouse  in  youth, 
we  should  have  no  evidence  that  he  ever  bore  more  than  the  famous 
name  of  Gilbert  Stuart. 

He  is  described  to  us  by  one  of  his  school  fellows  as  "  a  very 
capable,  self-willed  boy;  handsome,  forward,  an  only  son,  and 
habituated  at  home  to  have  his  own  way  in  every  thing,  with  little 
or  no  control  of  the  easy,  good  natured  father."  He  was  about 
thirteen  years  old  when  he  began  to  copy  pictures,  and  at  length 
attempted  likenesses  in  black  lead.  There  came  to  Newport  about 
the  year  1772,  a  Scotch  gentleman  named  Cosmo  Alexander ;  he 
was  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  of  delicate  health,  and 
prepossessing  manners,  apparently  independent  of  the  profession  of 
painting,  which  ostensibly  was  his  occupation,  though  it  is  believed 
that  he,  and  several  other  gentlemen  of  leisure  and  observation  from 
Britain,  were  travelling  in  this  country  for  political  purposes.  From 
Mr.  Alexander,  young  Stuart  first  received  lessons  in  the  grammar 
of  the  art  of  painting,  and  after  the  summer  spent  in  Rhode  Island, 
he  accompanied  him  to  the  South,  and  afterwards  to  Scotland.  Mr. 
Alexander  died  not  long  after  his  arrival  in  Edinburgh,  leaving  his 


GILBERT   CHARLES   STUART. 

pupil  to  the  care  of  Sir  George  Chambers,  who  did  not  long  survive 
him.  Into  whose  hands  our  young  artist  fell  after  these  disappoint- 
ments, we  know  not,  nor  is  it  to  be  regretted,  for  the  treatment  he 
received  was  harsh,  such  as  neither  Gilbert  Stuart  or  his  father 
ever  mentioned.  The  young  man  returned  to  Newport,  and  after  a 
time  resumed  his  pencil. 

Mr.  Joseph  Anthony,  of  Philadelphia,  visited  his  sister,  the  mother 
of  the  painter,  soon  after  Gilbert's  return,  and  on  going  into  his 
painting  room,  was  surprised  to  find  a  striking  likeness  of  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Anthony,  the  grandmother  of  the  painter,  who,  although  he 
had  not  seen  her  since  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  for  he  was  no 
older  at  the  time  of  her  death,  had,  by  the  power  of  recollection,  aided 
by  kindred  attachment,  produced  the  likeness  which  now  attracted 
the  attention  and  gained  the  favor  of  his  uncle.  This  faculty  of 
preserving  the  images  of  those  once  known  was  one  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  Stuart's  genius. 

Mr.  Anthony,  his  family,  and  friends,  sat  for  portraits  to  the  young 
artist,  who  was  now  in  the  full  tide  of  prosperity.  About  this  time, 
the  winter  of  1773-4,  he  and  his  friend  Waterhouse  were  fellow 
students  in  an  academy  for  drawing,  of  their  own  formation.  They 
hired  a  strong-muscled  journeyman  blacksmith,  as  their  academy 
figure,  at  half  a  dollar  the  evening ;  and  thus,  probably,  anticipated 
any  other  academical  study  from  the  naked  figure  in  their  country 
by  many  years. 

Ardent  as  Stuart's  love  of  painting  was,  we  have  Dr.  Water- 
house's  authority  for  saying,  that  music  divided  his  affections  so 
equally  with  her  sister,  that  it  was  difficult  to  say  which  was  "  the 
ruling  passion."  In  the  beginning  of  March,  1775,  Stuart's  friend, 
Waterhouse,  embarked  for  London,  with  the  intention  of  pursuing 
his  medical  studies  in  the  schools  of  Europe,  and  the  young  painter, 
probably  finding  his  business  interrupted  by  the  approach  of  war, 
found  means  to  follow,  relying,  as  it  would  seem,  upon  the  resources 
of  his  friend,  for  an  introduction  to  the  treasures  of  the  British 
metropolis.  He  arrived  in  London  in  the  latter  end  of  November, 
when  he  found  that  Waterhouse  had  gone  to  Edinburgh,  and  he 
had  not  one  acquaintance  in  this  strange  world,  and  no  resource  but 
his  pencil  and  a  letter  to  a  Scotch  gentleman,  who  received  him 
kindly,  and  employed  him  to  paint  a  picture  for  him,  which,  when 
his  friend  Waterhouse  returned  to  London,  in  the  summer  of  1776, 
he  found  still  unfinished  on  his  easel. 

During  this  period,  when  his  father's  business  was  broke  up  by 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

the  events  of  the  war  in  America,  and  the  young  painter  was  left  to 
shift  for  himself,  without  experience  or  prudence,  his  skill  in  music, 
both  practical  and  theoretical,  stood  him  in  stead,  and  gave  him  the 
means  of  subsistence  in  a  manner  as  extraordinary  as  his  character 
and  actions  were  eccentric.     While  he  was  in  this  state  of  extreme 
poverty,  without  employment  or  the  means  of  subsistence,  walking 
the  streets  without  any  definite  purpose,  he  passed  by  a  church  in 
Foster  Lane,  saw  the  door  open,  and  several  persons  going  in.     He 
was  attracted  by  the  sound  of  the  organ — he  inquired  at  the  door 
what  was  going  on  within,  and  was  told,  the  vestry  were  making 
trial  of  several  candidates  for  the  situation  of  organist,  the  last  incum- 
bent having  recently  died.     Stuart  entered  the  church,  and  encou- 
raged, as  he  said,  by  a  look  of  good  nature  in  the  countenance  of  one 
of  the  vestrymen,  addressed  him,  and  asked  if  a  stranger  might  try 
his  skill  and  become  a  candidate  for  the  vacant  place.     His  request 
was  granted,  and  he  had  the  pleasure  to  find  that  the  time  he  had 
employed  in  making  himself  a  musician,  had  not  been  thrown  away. 
His  playing  was  preferred  to  that  of  his  rivals,  and  he  was  engaged 
at  a  salaiy  which  relieved  present  necessities,  and  enabled  him  to 
return  to  his  studies  as  a  painter.     "  When,"  says  Mr.  Charles  Fraser, 
"Mr.  Stuart  related  this  anecdote  to  me,  he  was  sitting  in  his 
parlor,  and  to  prove  that  he  did  not  neglect  the  talent  that  had  been 
so  friendly  to  him  in  his  yonth,  and  in  the  days  of  his  adversity,  he 
took  his  seat  at  a  small  organ  in  the  room,  and  played  several  tunes 
with  much  feeling  and  execution." 

On  the  return  of  his  friend  from  Edinburgh,  to  pursue  his  studies 
by  "  walking  the  hospitals"  in  London,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  pro- 
curing several  sitters  for  the  young  painter  ;  but  he  could  with 
difficulty  keep  him  in  that  straight  course  which  is  so  necessary  to 
permanent  prosperity. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  Stuart  was  a  long  time  in  London 
without  seeing,  or  being  introduced  to  his  great  countryman,  West. 
There  appears  to  be  no  reason  for  this  omission,  and  for  not  gaining 
access,  for  at  least  two  years,  to  that  source  of  instruction  which  was 
ever  open  to  ,those  who  thirsted  for  knowledge,  and  more  especially 
to  Americans.  At  length.  Dr.  Waterhouse  says,  "  After  I  had  ex- 
hausted all  my  means  of  helping  forward  my  ingenious  friend  and 
countryman,  I  called  upon  Mr.  West,  and  laid  open  to  him  his 
situation."  The  consequence  was,  an  invitation  from  Mr.  West,  and 
his  continued  friendship,  support,  and  instruction. 

Soon  after  this,  Stuart's  friend,  Waterhouse,  went  to  Leyden,  to 


GILBERT   CHARLES    STUART. 

finish  his  studies,  and  they  did  not  meet  again  until  the  painter 
removed  from  Washington  to  Boston  ;  for  the  intermediate  time,  we 
have  to  look  to  other  authorities,  and  one  of  the  first  is  Colonel 
Trumbull,  who  on  being  introduced  to  Mr.  West,  in  August,  1780, 
found  Stuart  as  his  pupil.  Mr.  Stuart  uniformly  said,  that  on 
application  to  Mr.  West  he  was  received  with  great  benevolence ; 
that  nothing  could  exceed  the  attention  of  that  distinguished  artist 
to  him,  and  when  he  saw  that  he  was  fitted  for  the  field, — armed  to 
contend  with  the  best  and  the  highest,  —  he  advised  him  to  com- 
mence his  career  professionally.  While  under  Mr.  West's  roof,  he 
became  known  to  celebrated  artists,  and  to  the  lords  of  the  land. 
Dance  admired  and  encouraged  him,  and  presented  his  palette  to 
him.  His  full  length  of  Mr.  Grant,  skating,  attracted  great  applause, 
and  he,  soon  after  taking  rooms  and  setting  up  an  independent  easel, 
had  his  full  share  of  the  best  business  in  London  as  a  portrait 
painter ;  and  as  Colonel  Trumbull  has  said,  had  prices  equal  to  any, 
except  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  and  Gainsborough.  It  is  the  opinion  of 
Stuart's  contemporaries  in  London,  that  with  common  prudence 
he  might  have  been  the  successor  of  Reynolds.  He  was  not  prudent ; 
and  found  it  convenient  to  visit  Dublin,  where  he  was  received  with 
Hibernian  hospitality ;  delighting  as  much  by  his  wit  and  convi- 
viality as  by  his  pencil. 

In  1793  he  returned  to  America.  He  embarked  from  Dublin,  and 
arrived  in  New  York,  where  he  set  up  his  easel,  and  was  thronged 
with  admirers  and  sitters.  To  gratify  his  desire  to  paint  Wash- 
ington, a  desire  which,  he  has  said,  brought  him  from  the  scene  of 
,his  European  success,  he  visited  Philadelphia,  and  having  been  fully 
successful  in  his  mission,  he  fixed  his  residence  in  that  city  and 
neighborhood  for  some  years. 

An  eminent  artist  has  said  of  Stuart's  Washington  :  "  And  well 
is  his  ambition  justified  in  the  sublime  head  he  has  left  us  :  a  nobler 
personification  of  wisdom  and  goodness,  reposing  in  the  majesty  of 
a  serene  conscience,  is  not  to  be  found  on  canvass." 

The  writer  of  this  necessarily  short  and  imperfect  sketch,  who 
knew  Washington,  both  as  general  and  president,  perfectly  coincides 
with  the  above  tribute  of  praise  from  a  brother  artist.  When  artists 
speak  of  Stuart's  Washington,  let  it  be  remembered,  that  they 
mean  the  original  picture,  refused  by  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  and  purchased  as  an  inestimable  gem  by  tiie  Athenaeum,  of 
Boston.  The  copies  generally  circulated,  and  the  prints  from  Heath's 
workshop,  in  London,  are  libels  equally  on  the  painter  and  the  hero. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Mr.  Stuart  always  considered  the  publication  of  this  print,  not 
only  as  injurious  to  his  reputation,  but  as  a  piracy  upon  his  property. 
When  he  saw  the  print  exhibited  for  sale  in  Philadelphia,  he  could 
not  restrain  his  just  indignation. 

While  Mr.  Stuart  was  prosperously  exercising  his  profession  in 
Pennsylvania,  we  are  informed  that  he  purchased  a  farm  at  Potts- 
Grove,  as  a  resting  place  for  his  family,  but  that  the  plan  was  not  car- 
ried through  with  the  prudence  which  conceived  it.  He  removed  to 
Washington,  and  was  there  as  elsewhere,  gladly  welcomed.  In  1805, 
he  finally  fixed  himself  at  Boston,  where  he,  with  undiminished 
talents,  exercised  his  profession  until  the  day  of  his  death.  The  por- 
trait of  John  Adams,  painted  after  the  venerable  patriot  and  president 
was  upwards  of  eighty,  has  been  the  admiration  of  all  who  have  seen 
it ;  and  the  painter's  last  work,  the  head  of  an  intended  full  length 
of  the  ex-president,  John  Q,uincy  Adams,  is  equal  to  any  of  the  great 
painter's  works,  when  he  was  in  the  prime  of  life  and  vigor  of  health. 

The  colloquial  talents  of  Gilbert  Stuart  were  exerted  as  aux- 
iliaries to  his  pencil.  He  had  a  fund  of  wit  inexhaustible,  and  of 
anecdote,  or  historical  knowledge,  his  reading  and  his  memory 
furnished  him  with  an  everlasting  store.  His  early  friend,  Dr. 
Waterhouse,  has  thus  characterized  and  described  that  power  and 
art  with  which  he  fascinated  his  sitters,  making  them  forget  the 
confinement  of  the  "  painter's  chair,"  and  drawing  forth  the  inmost 
soul  upon  the  surface  of  the  countenance,  while  he  fixed  it  on  his 
canvass  by  the  magic  of  his  colors.  "  In  conversation  and  confabu- 
lation, he  was  inferior  to  no  man.  He  always  made  it  a  point  to 
keep  those  talking  who  were  sitting  to  him  for  their  portraits,  each 
in  their  own  way,  free  and  easy.  This  called  up  all  his  resources 
of  judgment.  To  military  men,  he  spoke  of  battles  by  sea  and  land. 
With  the  statesman,  on  Hume's  and  Gibbon's  History — with  the 
lawyer,  in  his  way — the  merchant  in  his  way,  and  with  the  ladies, 
in  all  ways.  When  putting  the  rich  farmer  on  the  canvass,  he 
would  go  along  with  him  from  seed  time  to  harvest  time — then  he 
would  descant  on  the  nice  points  of  a  fine  horse,  ox,  cow,  sheep,  or 
pig,  and  surprise  him  with  his  just  remarks  on  the  progress  ot 
making  cheese  and  butter,  and  astonish  him  with  his  profound 
knowledge  of  manures,  or  the  food  of  plants.  As  to  national  cha 
racter  and  individual  character,  few  men  could  say  more  to  the 
purpose,  as  far  as  history  and  acute  personal  observation  would 
carry  him.  He  had  wit  at  will,  always  ample,  sometimes  redundant, 
remarkably  so,  after  his  long  sojourn  in  Ireland." 


GILBERT   CHARLES    STUART. 

His  friend,  Waterhouse,  was  disposed  to  attribute  Stuart's  undue 
attachment  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table  and  convivial  society,  to  his 
residence  on  the  Emerald  Isle ;  but  he  carried  all  his  propensities 
and  resources  for  smoothing  the  road  to  ruin  with  him,  from  the 
centre  of  all  dissipation,  as  well  as  all  rational  enjoyment,  London. 
Of  Stuart,  as  of  some  others,  it  may  be  said  in  the  common  phrase- 
ology of  mankind,  "  he  had  every  kind  of  sense  but  common  sense." 
He  had  knowledge  enough  to  have  guided  an  empire,  and  did  not 
pilot  his  own  frail  vessel  into  port,  even  when  wind  and  tide  were 
with  him. 

Nature  had  bestowed  on  Gilbert  Stuart  her  choicest  gifts. 
His  mind  and  body  were  of  the  most  powerful,  and  the  best  endowed, 
for  active  exertion  or  ponderous  labor — for  grasping  the  minute  or 
the  vast — for  relishing  the  beauties  of  art  or  diving  into  the  profun- 
dities of  science.  These  gifts,  when  used,  lead  to  fortune,  fame,  and 
happiness  ;  and  their  possessor  is  blessed  with  equanimity  and  cheer- 
fulness— when  abused,  the  result  is  disappointment,  poverty,  disease, 
self-reproach,  and  occasional  misanthropy.  It  is  a  vulgar  error,  that 
genius  and  imprudence  have  a  natural  alliance.  The  contrary 
is  the  fact.  Eminent  genius  may  be,  has  been,  misled;  but  the 
most  eminent  are  bright  proofs  that  genius  and  virtue  are  by 
nature  allied,  and  that  the  imprudent  man  of  great  talents  is  the 
exception  to  the  rule. 

Certain  it  is,  that  Gilbert  Stuart  did  not  watch  and  properly 
turn  to  his  advantage  that  "  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men,  which  taken 
at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune,"  and  it  is  equally  certain,  that  the 
neglect  involved  him  in  the  "  shoals  and  shallows"  which  the  great 
philosophic  poet  tells  us,  is  the  inevitable  consequence.  He  returned 
to  New  England,  (after  shining  with  the  splendor  of  a  sun  and  the 
irregularity  of  a  meteor,  in  England,  Ireland,  and  the  central  portions 
of  the  United  States,)  to  finish  his  eccentric  career,  without  that 
brilliancy  which  fortune  bestows,  but  with  undiminished  fame  and 
unrivalled  excellence  as  an  artist,  to  the  last  days  of  his  existence ; 
dying  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four,  in  the  month  of  July, 
1828,  regretted  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  leaving,  "a  void"  "in 
the  world  of  art,"  "  which  will  not  soon  be  filled." 

We  cannot  conclude  this  brief  memoir  better  than  in  the  words  of  an 
eminent  artist,  whose  language  bears  the  impress  of  truth,  judgment, 
and  feeling.  The  "  glimpses  of  character"  which  Stuart  elicited 
from  his  sitters  by  his  colloquial  powers,  "  mixed  as  they  are  in  all 
men  with  so  much  that  belongs  to  their  age  and  associates,  would 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

have  been  of  little  use  to  an  ordinary  observer ;  for  the  faculty  of 
distinguishing  between  the  accidental  and  the  permanent,  in  other 
words,  between  the  conventional  expression  which  arises  from  man- 
ners, and  that  more  subtle  indication  of  the  individual  mind,  is  indeed 
no  common  one  :  and  by  no  one  with  whom  we  are  acquainted,  was 
their  faculty  possessed  in  so  remarkable  a  degree.  It  was  this  which 
enabled  him  to  animate  his  canvass — not  with  the  appearance  of 
mere  general  life,  but  with  that  peculiar  distinctive  life,  which  sepa- 
rates the  humblest  individual  from  his  kind.  He  seemed  to  dive 
into  the  thoughts  of  men — for  they  were  made  to  rise  and  speak  on 
the  surface."  "  In  his  happier  efforts,  no  one  ever  surpassed  him  in 
embodying  (if  we  may  so  speak,)  those  transient  apparitions  of  the 
soul.  Of  this,  not  the  least  admirable  instance  is  his  portrait,  painted 
within  the  last  four  years,  (when  the  painter  was  upwards  of  seventy,) 
of  the  late  President  Adams ;  wiiose  then  bodily  tenement  seemed 
rather  to  present  the  image  of  some  dilapidated  castle,  than  that  of 
the  habitation  of  the  '  unbroken  mind  ;'  but  not  such  is  the  picture  ; 
called  forth  as  from  its  crumbling  recesses,  the  living  tenant  is  there — 
still  ennobling  the  ruin,  and  upholding  it,  as  it  were,  by  the  strength 
of  his  own  life.  In  this  venerable  ruin,  will  the  unbending  patriot 
and  the  gifted  artist  speak  to  posterity  of  the  first  glorious  century 
of  our  republic." 

In  a  word,  Gilbert  Stuart  was,  in  its  widest  sense,  a  jjhilo- 
sopher  in  his  art :  he  thoroughly  understood  its  principles,  as  his 
works  bear  witness,  whether  as  to  the  harmony  of  colors  or  of  lines, 
or  of  light  and  shadow — showing  that  exquisite  sense  of  a  whole, 
which  only  a  man  of  genius  can  realize  and  embody. 

We  cannot  close  this  brief  notice  without  a  passing  record  of  his 
generous  bearing  towards  his  professional  brethren.  He  never  suf- 
fered the  manliness  of  his  nature  to  darken  with  the  least  shadow  of 
jealousy ;  but  where  praise  was  due,  he  gave  it  freely,  and  gave  it, 
too,  with  a  grace  which  showed  that,  loving  excellence  for  its  own 
sake,  he  had  a  pleasure  in  praising.  To  the  younger  artists,  he  was 
uniformly  kind  and  indulgent,  and  most  liberal  of  his  advice ;  which 
no  one  ever  properly  asked  but  he  received,  and  in  a  manner  no  less 
courteous  than  impressive.  Well  may  his  country  say,  "  a  great  man 
has  passed  from  amongst  us  ;"  but  Gilbert  Stuart  has  bequeathed 
her  what  is  paramount  to  j)oiver — since  no  power  can  command  it — 
the  rich  inheritance  of  his  fame. 


Zngra'Ted  'by  Gimbei" /:  xJick.  by  Pei-mission  of  die  "NVJ^cpum  trora  a    h'.tuinng  by  R  Imnaii . 


SAMUEL. L.MrrCHlLL.M.D.  L.L.D. 


ilntered  according  to  act  of  Congress  m  Uie  year  1832  "by  James  Herring  in  the  clerks  office  of  the 
District  CoarL  of  the  Soulhem  Distnct  of  New'Sbrk. 


SAMUEL  LATHAM  MITCHILL,  M.D.  LL.D. 


"  Omnium  scientiarum  circulis  mire  se  implicantem." 

Bruceer. 


The  medical  profession,  distinguished,  as  it  has  been  in  all  ages,  by 
the  learning  and  talents  of  its  members,  is  destined,  we  trust,  to 
receive  new  honors  in  this  free  republic  of  the  United  States.  Less 
conspicuous  in  the  public  eye  than  the  jurisconsult,  less  imposing  in 
private  life  than  the  teacher  of  religion,  the  physician  has  yet  risen, 
in  the  enlightened  nations  of  England  and  France,  to  a  parity  at 
least  with  his  rival  brethren ;  though  these  last  have  been  largely 
supported  by  fiscal  patronage,  and  strengthened  by  governmental 
authority.  In  bringing  about  this  revolution,  much  is  due  to  the 
great  events  which  have  signalized  the  history  of  the  present  gene- 
ration— still  more  to  the  enlightened  spirit  of  the  age.  It  was  the 
boast  of  the  late  illustrious  emperor  of  France,  that  during  his 
administration  of  its  government,  the  road  to  public  honors  and 
rewards  was  equally  open  to  every  member  of  the  state.  By  this 
liberal  policy,  not  only  each  individual  assumed  his  natural  rank,  but 
each  class  of  society  rose  to  its  natural  importance.  The  perfect 
liberality  of  our  institutions,  both  national  and  social,  and  the  free- 
dom of  access  to  every  situation  in  life  to  the  humblest  individual, 
have  produced  among  us  a  universal  spirit  of  ambition,  which  brings 
forward  the  talents  of  all  to  the  public  service.  The  distinguished 
character,  whose  life  and  services  these  pages  are  designed  briefly  to 
sketch,  is  a  striking  instance  of  the  truth  of  these  remarks.  Under 
an  absolute  government  he  had  been  only  an  eminent  physician ; 
under  our  more  liberal  system,  he  was  besides  an  important  actor  in 
its  national  concerns. 

Samuel  Latham  Mitch  ill  was  born  in  North  Hempstead, 
(Plandome,)  dueens  county.  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  on  the  20th  of  Au- 
gust, 1764.  In  this  village  his  father,  Robert  Mitchill,  of  English 
descent,  was  an  industrious  farmer  of  the  society  of  Friends.  He  died 
in  1789,  leaving  behind  him  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  most  of 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

whom  he  lived  to  see  reputably  settled  in  life.  Agricultural  pursuits 
became  for  the  most  part  their  occupation,  and  industry  and  economy 
were  the  characteristics  common  to  them  all.  In  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  who  was  the  third  son,  were  early  remarkable  those  habits 
of  observation  and  reflection,  which  were  destined  to  elevate  him  to 
an  enviable  distinction  among  his  contemporaries.  Fortunately  for 
mankind,  his  talents  and  laudable  ambition  met  a  discernins-  and 
liberal  patron  in  his  maternal  uncle,  Dr.  Samuel  Latham,  a  skilful 
and  intelligent  medical  practitioner  in  his  native  village.  The 
resources  of  this  gentleman  happily  enabled  him  to  enter  upon  and 
complete  that  system  of  education,  which  the  limited  income  and 
numerous  family  of  his  parents  of  necessity  denied.  Of  this  uncle 
he  always  spoke  with  becoming  gratitude  and  ardent  affection.  At 
an  early  age  he  was  placed  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Leonard  Cut- 
ting, a  graduated  scholar  of  the  university  of  Cambridge,  England; 
whom  an  attachment  to  the  principles  of  liberty  had  induced  to  visit 
our  shores,  and  in  whom  the  polished  habits  of  the  gentleman  were 
happily  blended  with  a  profound  and  extensive  erudition.  With  this 
excellent  instructer  he  continued  for  several  years,  and  with  him 
acquired  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  classical  literature,  which 
constituted  one  of  the  favorite  amusements  of  his  leisure  hours 
throughout  his  subsequent  life.  It  is  due  to  this  kind  preceptor  to 
state,  that  he  early  predicted  the  future  eminence  of  his  pupil,  and 
contributed  by  his  praise  and  direction  to  its  fulfilment.  After 
acquiring  a  partial  knowledge  of  the  elementary  principles  of  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Latham,  he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York  in  1780, 
and  became  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Samuel  Bard,  with  whom  he  continued 
about  three  years.  The  condition  of  New  York  was  at  this  period 
little  favorable  to  intellectual  cultivation.  The  humble  institutions 
which  the  pious  and  enlightened  liberality  of  our  fathers  had  erected 
to  letters  were  appropriated  to  arms,  scholastic  exercises  suspended, 
and  their  professors  dispersed.  The  state  had  been  long  struggling 
with  its  unnatural  parent,  and  the  efforts  of  patriotism  for  a  time 
superseded  the  pursuits  of  science  and  literature.  King's,  now 
Columbia  college,  had  become  a  military  hospital,  its  chambers 
occupied  by  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  of  the  British  army ;  and 
the  New  York  hospital  converted  into  a  barracks  by  the  enemy,  who 
then  held  possession  of  the  city.  Notwithstanding  these  unpropitious 
circumstances,  he  continued  his  medical  studies,  and  had  free  access 
to  the  circles  who  visited  the  house  of  his  medical  preceptor. 

In  the  twentieth  year  of  his  age,  Mr.  Mitchill  was  happily 


SAMUEL  LATHAM  MITCHILL. 

enabled  to  avail  himself  of  the  advantages  held  out  by  the  university 
of  Edinburgh,  at  that  time  adorned  by  the  talents  of  CuUen,  Black, 
and  Monro.  Here  students  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world 
repaired,  as  to  the  most  able  seat  of  medical  learning  then  in  Europe  ; 
and  of  nearly  a  thousand  youths,  many  of  whom  have  risen  to  the 
first  distinctions  in  science  and  letters,  the  talents  and  diligence  of 
MiTCHiLL  acquired  for  him  general  applause,  and  an  undivided 
esteem  and  regard.  The  late  Sir  James  Mackintosh  and  Thomas 
Addis  Emmet,  who  have  since  acquired  such  eminence  in  other 
pursuits,  were  among  his  friends  and  compeers ;  and  we  have  the 
testimony  of  the  last  named  excellent  individual,  that  no  student  of 
the  university  exhibited  greater  tokens  of  promise.  After  a  residence 
of  about  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which,  in  1786,  he  received  the 
honors  of  the  profession,  he  made  a  short  excursion  into  England 
and  France,  and  returned  to  his  native  country,  then  rapidly  reco- 
vering from  the  disastrous  elfects  of  the  revolutionary  contest. 

On  his  return  to  his  native  state,  Dr.  Mitchill,  with  a  consequent 
interruption  to  his  medical  studies,  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  laws  and  constitution  of  his  country, 
under  the  direction  of  Robert  Yates,  at  that  time  chief  justice  of  the 
state  of  New  York.  The  result  was  a  fixed  and  unalterable  attach- 
ment in  him  to  those  principles  which,  triumphantly  asserted  at 
Saratoga  and  Yorktown,  and  since  embodied  in  the  constitution  of 
the  United  States,  became  the  corner-stone  of  new  institutions,  sacred 
to  the  rights  and  best  interests  of  mankind.  By  the  influence  of  the 
chief  justice,  he  was  employed  in  the  commission  for  holding  a 
treaty  with  the  Iroquois  Indians,  and  was  present  at  the  adjustment 
made  at  Fort  Stanwix,  1788,  in  which  the  right  to  a  large  portion  of 
the  western  district  was  purchased  for  the  benefit  of  the  government. 
During  this  period  he  extensively  explored  the  frontiers  of  New 
York  and  Canada,  and  seems  also  to  have  been  engaged  in  various 
matters  of  a  political  character.  His  experiments  on  the  mineral 
waters  of  Saratoga,  which  he  subsequently  re-investigated,  appear  to 
have  contributed  to  the  extensive  celebrity  which  those  waters  have 

since  obtained. 

His  appointment  to  the  chair  of  chemistry  and  agriculture  in 
Columbia  college,  marks  the  confidence  of  his  friends  in  his  abilities  ; 
and  from  this  school  he  first  made  known  to  his  countrymen  the 
new  theory  of  chemistry  recently  matured  by  the  genius  of  Lavoisier 
and  his  associates.  The  admirable  nomenclature,  the  scientific 
arrangement  of  this  system,  together  with  its  brilliant  results,  form 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

an  era  in  chemical  philosophy,  and  an  important  chapter  in  the 
history  of  the  human  mind.  The  doctor  was  wont  to  repeat  with 
much  complacency  this  happy  commencement  of  his  professorial 
career.  He  was,  however,  far  from  adopting  all  the  principles  of 
Lavoisier ;  and  in  a  memoir  published  shortly  after,  he  presented  a 
modified  system,  which  involved  him  in  a  controversy  with  the 
celebrated  Priestley,  then  recently  arrived  on  our  shores.  It  is  to  the 
honor  of  these  distinguished  individuals,  that  the  disputation  was 
conducted  with  mutual  courtesy,  and  ended  in  a  personal  friendship, 
which  terminated  only  with  the  life  of  the  great  founder  of  pneu- 
matic chemistry. 

From  his  connection  with  many  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  state 
government,  and  particularly  with  Chancellor  Livingston  and  Simeon 
De  Witt,  originated  the  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Agriculture, 
Manufactures,  and  the  Useful  Arts.  Before  this  body  he  delivered 
their  first  public  address,  which  made  its  appearance  in  the  first 
volume  of  their  Transactions.  This  society,  which  consisted  of  the 
members  of  both  houses  of  the  legislature,  and  of  such  other  indi- 
viduals as  interested  themselves  in  agricultural  pursuits,  was  incor- 
porated at  his  instance,  and  has  proved  by  its  various  publications  a 
valuable  aid  in  unfolding  the  native  resources  of  the  commonwealth. 
His  mineralogical  survey  of  the  state  of  New  York,  undertaken  in 
1796,  under  the  direction  of  this  institution,  forms  a  memorable  event 
in  his  career,  and  first  laid  the  basis  of  his  reputation  with  the 
philosophers  of  Europe,  which  continued  from  this  time  thenceforth 
to  increase.  This  report  was  probably  the  first  attempt  in  mineralo- 
gical study  in  America,  and  led  the  way  to  the  more  ample  investi- 
gations of  Maclure,  Godon,  Cleaveland,  Dana,  Van  Rensselaer,  and 
others.  It  has  often  been  referred  to  with  approbation  by  the  scavans 
of  Europe.*  He  contributed  at  times  local  sketches  of  a  like  character 
of  different  parts  of  the  country  to  various  scientific  journals  ;  and  it 
has  furnished  occasion  of  regret  that  so  competent  an  observer  had  not 
more  fully  prosecuted  these  meritorious  researches.  Throughout  his 
life  he  was  a  persistent  believer  in  the  Wernerian  hypothesis,  and 
contended  that  the  most  luminous  evidences  of  its  truth  were  found 
in  the  formations  of  the  western  hemisphere. 

The  New  York  Medical  Repository  originated  in  1797,  under  the 
editorial  career  of  Samuel  L.  Mitch  ill,  in  connection  with  Dr. 


*  See  Volney's  View  of  the  United  States. 
i 


SAMUEL  LATHAM  MITCHILL. 

Edward  Miller  and  Elihu  H.  Smith.  Of  this  journal  he  was  the 
chief  editor  for  more  than  sixteen  years,  during  the  greater  part  of 
which  period  it  was  the  general  vehicle  of  science  in  the  new 
world.  It  was  enriched  from  time  to  time  with  the  ample  treasures 
of  his  knowledge,  and  with  ingenious  speculations  in  almost  every 
branch  of  philosophy.  The  critical  department  was  for  the  most 
part  conducted  with  urbanity  and  good  feeling.  Few  writers,  whose 
works  were  subjected  to  its  critical  ordeal,  could  fairly  complain  of  its 
decisions ;  and  though  a  strenuous  advocate  for  certain  theories,  and 
firm  in  gladiatorial  controversy,  its  pages  were  seldom  marked  by  want 
of  candor  or  undeserved  censure.  It  was  the  first  periodical  work  of 
a  scientific  description  that  appeared  in  the  United  States. 

In  1807,  the  act  of  the  legislature  empowering  the  regents  of  the 
university  to  establish  a  college  of  physicians  and  surgeons  in  the 
city  of  New  York  took  effect ;  and  upon  the  organization  of  this 
school.  Dr.  MiTCHixL  was  appointed  the  professor  of  chemistry, 
which,  however,  his  public  duties  obliged  him  to  resign.  In  the 
following  year,  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  natural  history,  in  the 
same  institution.  In  this  science,  so  congenial  to  his  taste  and 
habits,  and  in  which  he  was  acknowledged  to  be  without  a  rival 
among  his  countrymen,  he  delivered  courses  of  instruction  for  twelve 
successive  years,  with  eminent  success.  Of  these  lectures,  which 
embraced  the  extensive  regions  of  mineralogical,  botanical,  and 
zoological  inquiry,  he  published  an  outline,  which  exhibited  a  com- 
pass of  thought,  and  a  capacity  for  generalization,  for  which  he  was 
little  accredited  by  the  censorious. 

The  reorganization  of  the  college  in  1820  occasioned  a  new  dispo 
sition  of  professorships,  when  Dr.  Mitch  ill  was  commissioned  by 
the  regents  as  professor  of  materia  medica  and  botany.  In  this 
capacity  he  continued  his  professorial  labors  until  1826,  when,  with 
his  colleagues,  he  resigned  all  connection  with  an  institution,  the 
interests  of  which  he  had  promoted  nearly  twenty  years.  The 
gradual  and  steady  success  of  this  school  of  medicine,  in  opposition 
to  a  powerful  rival,  is  an  honorable  evidence  of  the  talents  and  well- 
directed  efforts  of  its  teachers.  It  may  be  sufiicient  to  observe,  that 
it  opened  in  1807  with  fifty-three  students ;  that  for  a  while  there 
existed  in  the  city  two  other  institutions,  which  at  length  yielded  to 
its  superiority ;  and  that  for  several  years  it  was  attended  by  two 
hundred  students.  Difficulties  having  at  length  arisen  between  the 
trustees  and  the  professors,  the  latter  withdrew  in  a  body  from  an 
institution,  \which,  under  their  exertions,  had  been  elevated  to  rival- 

5 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

ship  with  the  oldest  medical  school  in  the  country.  In  common 
with  his  colleagues,  he  received,  upon  his  resignation,  the  thanks  of 
the  regents  of  the  university,  for  the  faithful  and  able  manner  in 
which  he  had  discharged  his  duties  as  instructer  and  lecturer  in  the 
college.  In  the  new  college,  which  was  immediately  thereafter 
formed,  under  the  name  of  Rutgers  Medical  College,  Dr.  Mitchill 
was  appointed  to  the  office  of  vice  president. 

The  political  career  of  Dr.  Mitchill,  which  began  as  early  as 
1790,  as  a  representative  in  the  state  legislature  from  his  native 
county  of  Queens,  was  scarcely  less  brilliant  or  less  beneficial  to  his 
fellow-citizens  than  his  services  in  the  cause  of  science  and  philo- 
sophy ;  and  his  name,  as  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  represent- 
ative and  senator  in  the  national  congress,  is  honorably  associated 
with  many  of  the  most  conspicuous  and  important  public  transac- 
tions. Adopting  the  views  of  those  who  construe  most  strictly  the 
powers  conferred  upon  the  general  government  by  the  constitution,  he 
for  the  most  part  acted  with  those  who  were  designated  by  the  name 
of  the  repubhcan,  in  opposition  to  the  federal,  party.  His  courtesy 
and  amenity  of  manners  were  always  conspicuous ;  and  though  a 
leading  member  at  a  period  of  exasperated  political  feeling,  he  ab- 
stained from  every  species  of  intolerance  towards  his  political  oppo- 
nents, without  forfeiting  his  popularity  with  his  political  friends.  It 
is  with  pleasure  we  record  the  name  of  Dr.  Mitchill  among  those 
who  first  gave  impulse  and  activity  to  that  splendid  system  of  inter- 
nal improvement,  which  has  given  renown  to  New  York,  and  ren- 
dered her  a  brilliant  example  to  her  sister  states.  We  refer  to  the 
statute  of  her  legislature  in  1798,  which  conferred  on  Chancellor 
Livingston  the  exclusive  right  to  navigate  by  steam  the  waters 
of  New  York.  This  bill  owed  much  to  the  zeal  and  assiduity  of  Dr. 
Mitchill,  arrayed  against  a  host  of  scoffing  and  sneering  oppo- 
nents. The  projected  attempt  was  at  this  time  unsuccessful,  but  by 
the  united  exertions  of  Livingston  and  Fulton,  eventuated  in  those 
mao-nificent  efforts  in  steam  navigation,  which  have  changed  the 
internal  commerce  of  nations. 

In  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  both  as  representative  and 
senator,  the  bills  for  reducing  the  required  term  of  residence  for 
foreigners  from  fourteen  to  five  years,  on  modified  quarantine  and 
health  laws,  on  salt  duties,  were  a  few  among  the  many  subjects 
which  called  forth  a  happy  display  of  his  varied  information  and 
persuasive  elocution.  His  knowledge  of  the  pohtical  relations  of  the 
American  confederation,  and  familiarity  with  its  statistics,  rendered 


SAMUEL  LATHAM  MITCHILL. 

him  at  all  times  a  most  useful  member,  both  in  the  house  and  m 
committee  :  those  who  expected  to  see  in  him  the  mere  abstract  phi- 
losopher, were  delighted  to  find  in  him  the  highest  social  qualities,  and 
a  research  which  scarcely  any  subject  of  human  inquiry  had  eluded. 
In  1799,  Dr.  Mitchill  was  united  in  matrimony  to  the  daughter 
of  Samuel  Akerly,  Mrs.  Catharine  Cock,  his  amiable  partner  and 
lamenting  survivor.  In  the  domestic  relations  of  life,  as  husband, 
brother,  and  friend,  his  zeal  and  affection  were  exemplary  and  dis- 
interested. 

Dr.  Mitchill  derived  from  nature  a  hardy  and  robust  constitu- 
tion, but  occasionally  labored  under  a  bronchial  affection,  to  which 
he  acquired  a  predisposition,  from  an  attack  of  inflammation  in  early 
hfe.  He  died  after  a  short  but  severe  illness,  in  the  67th  year  of  his 
age,  on  the  7th  of  September,  1831,  at  his  residence  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  His  funeral  was  honored  by  the  attendance  of  a  large 
and  respectable  body  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Dr.  Mitchill  was  member  of  innumerable  scientific  societies. 
Of  the  Lyceum  of  Natural  History,  of  New  York,  he  was  the 
founder,  and  for  many  years  its  president.  He  enriched  its  annals 
with  many  contributions,  and  still  further  displayed  his  zeal  in 
behalf  of  his  favorite  pursuit,  by  a  donation  to  them  of  a  large 
portion  of  his  valuable  cabinet. 

Of  his  numerous  writings,  a  large  part  relate  to  subjects  of 
transient  interest,  or  of  technical  science.  These  we  shall  neither 
attempt  to  enumerate  nor  to  characterize.  Among  his  most  elabo- 
rate productions  are,  his  Addresses  before  the  State  Agricultural  Soci- 
ety, his  correspondence  with  Priestley,  his  Chart  of  Chemical  No- 
menclature, his  Introduction  to  Darwin's  Zoonomia,  his  paper  on 
the  alkaline  properties  of  the  water  of  the  ocean,  in  the  American 
Philosophical  Transactions ;  his  Discourse  before  the  New  York 
Historical  Society  on  the  Botanical  History  of  North  and  South 
America ;  a  paper  on  the  fishes  that  inhabit  the  waters  of  New  York, 
in  the  Transactions  of  the  Literary  and  Philosophical  Society  of 
New  York;  his  Appendix  to  Cuvier's  Theory  of  the  Earth;  his 
Biographical  Discourses  on  Dr.  Bard  and  on  Thomas  A.  Emmet. 

As  a  lecturer,  simple,  plain,  and  didactic,  he  arrested  the  attention 
of  his  auditors  by  his  ample  and  ready  knowledge  of  his  subject,  and 
by  a  fund  of  apt  and  characteristic  anecdotes.  In  his  excursions 
through  different  sections  of  the  United  States,  and  during  his 
residence  at  Washington,  he  had  become  intimately  acquainted  with 
many  of  the  more  interesting  portions  of  our  country,  and  with  the 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

various  character  of  our  countrymen ;  and  no  small  part  of  the 
interest  of  his  lectures  consisted  in  reminiscences  connected  with 
these  circumstances  of  his  hfe. 

Reference  has  been  already  made  to  his  early  attainments  in  the 
literature  of  Greece  and  Rome ;  evidences,  indeed,  of  classical  taste 
were  to  be  found  in  almost  all  his  compositions,  both  written  and 
oral ;  and  he  had  been  known  and  acknowledged  as  one  of  our  most 
eminent  writers,  had  he  not  become  still  more  conspicuous  as  an 
adept  in  natural  curiosities.  That  vivacious  and  fertile  imagination, 
which  was  usefully  occupied  with  the  bones  of  the  mastodon  and  the 
Wernerian  formation,  might  have  illustrated  and  illuminated  the 
paths  of  literature.  We  refer  for  the  evidences  of  this  opinion  to  his 
admirable  discourse  before  the  New  York  Horticultural  Society, 
which  the  scholar  may  consult  for  the  beauty  of  its  style,  and  the 
agriculturist  for  the  useful  lessons  it  imparts. 

For  about  twenty  years.  Dr.  Mitchill  acted  as  one  of  the  physi- 
cians of  the  New  York  Hospital ;  and  his  dihgence  and  attention  to 
the  duties  this  office  imposed,  when  not  called  from  the  city  by  other 
obligations,  were  marked  and  exemplary.  Nor  was  he  deficient, 
notwithstanding  his  multifarious  pursuits,  in  the  practical  knowledge 
of  disease.  Those  who  were  accustomed  to  regard  him  as  a  mere 
theorist,  by  personal  intercourse  perceived  in  him  the  acute  clinical 
observer  of  the  different  phases  of  disease.  Like  Darwin  and  CuUen, 
he  judiciously,  when  at  the  bed-side,  rejected  speculations,  and 
trusted  to  observation  and  experience  as  the  only  safe  guides. 

In  assigning  to  Dr.  Mitchill  an  eminent  rank  among  the  culti- 
vators of  natural  science,  we  are  fully  warranted  by  the  authority  of 
those  who  have  preeminently  excelled  in  this  branch  of  knowledge. 
The  illustrious  Cuvier,  both  in  his  lectures  and  in  his  printed  writings, 
referred  to  him  in  terms  of  signal  approbation.  More  recently  the 
ornithologist  Audubon  has  bestowed  on  him  the  tribute  of  his  ap- 
plause. Let  it  be  recollected,  that  his  knowledge  was  acquired  not 
among  the  facilities  of  a  royal  or  imperial  cabinet,  but  amid  the 
fatigues  of  travel,  and  while  resident  among  a  population  little  disposed 
to  speculative  investigation,  or  to  regard  his  pursuits  with  favor  or 
reward.  Though  justly  deemed  the  Nestor  of  American  science,  he 
bore  the  honors  which  thickened  around  him  meekly,  if  not  unobtru- 
sively, and  ever  showed  himself  ready  to  aid  the  diligent  inquirer  by 
counsel  and  encouragement.  It  has  happened  to  few  men  to  pass 
through  life  with  less  of  censure,  or  with  a  more  fixed  and  unchanged 
approbation.  » 


'X 


Pamu-dbv  R.W.W. 


lin-S'?  bv  H..  Pnrd'tiominv* 


^IIIIii(fl)lfl)IRI!(D  aS2MSj'FI  IBIESIE  ,  M  o  !E) 


iTilrrr-d  ;L/:rttrdine  lo  LKf- 


"url^of  the   Soulhcrn.  Ilislnct  of  Nc,      - 


THEODRIC  ROMEYN  BECK,  M.D. 


It  is  not  always  the  men  who  shine  with  the  most  brilliancy  before 
the  world,  and  occasionally  astonish  our  senses  with  their  exploits, 
who  are  really  the  most  useful,  or  the  most  worthy. 

The  life  of  a  professional  man,  unlike  that  of  the  statesman  or 
the  warrior,  affords  but  few  incidents  calculated  to  excite  interest,  or 
allure  attention.  It  is  not  on  that  account,  however,  less  worthy  of 
record,  or  barren  of  utility. 

The  subject  of  the  present  memoir,  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
of  American  medical  authors,  seems  justly  entitled  to  a  place,  in  a 
work  designed  to  perpetuate  the  names  of  those  who  have  distin- 
guished themselves,  by  their  talents  or  their  erudition. 

Theodric  Romeyn  Beck  was  born  of  highly  respectable  parents, 
on  the  eleventh  of  August,  1791,  at  Schenectady,  in  the  state  of  New 
York.  His  grandfather  was  the  Reverend  Theodric  Romeyn,  D.  D., 
one  of  the  professors  of  theology  in  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church, 
and  one  of  its  most  distinguished  ornaments.  The  rudiments  of 
Doctor  Beck's  education  were  received  at  the  grammar  school  in 
his  native  place ;  and,  in  1803,  he  entered  Union  college,  an  insti- 
tution which  had  been  established  a  few  years  previously,  principally 
through  the  agency  and  active  exertions  of  his  grandfather.  In 
1807  he  was  graduated,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  late  Doctors  M'Clelland  and  Low,  of  Albany.  His  medical  edu- 
cation was  afterwards  completed  under  the  care  of  Doctor  David 
Hosack,  of  New  York,  in  which  place  he  attended  the  lectures  of 
the  college  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  obtained  from  that 
institution  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1811;  on  which 
occasion  he  wrote  and  published  an  inaugural  dissertation  on 
"Insanity,"  Immediately  on  his  graduation,  he  conmienced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Albany. 

In  1815,  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  the  Institutes  of  Medicine 
and  Lecturer  on  Medical  Jurisprudence,  in  the  college  of  Physicians 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

and  Surgeons  of  the  western  district  of  the  state  of  New  York,  a 
station  which  he  has  held  ever  since.  As  this  appointment  did  not 
require  his  absence  from  Albany  during  any  very  considerable 
portion  of  the  year,  he  still  continued  to  practice  medicine  in  that 
place.  This,  however,  did  not  long  continue  ;  and  in  a  short  time, 
owing  to  an  apprehension  that  his  health  was  inadequate  to  the 
arduous  duties  of  practice,  and  perhaps,  also,  to  a  superior  and 
growing  fondness  for  literary  pursuits,  he  abandoned  completely  the 
practical  exercise  of  his  profession,  and  in  1817,  accepted  the  situa- 
tion of  principal  of  the  Albany  Academy. 

This  institution,  in  every  thing  but  the  name,  is  on  an  equality 
with  many  of  the  colleges  of  our  country.  With  a  building  distin- 
guished for  its  architectural  beauty,  erected  by  the  public  authorities 
of  the  city,  and  aided  by  able  professors  in  various  departments, 
under  the  superintendence  of  Doctor  Beck  it  has  attained  a  high 
and  deserved  rank  among  the  literary  institutions  of  our  country. 

It  is  as  an  author,  however,  that  the  subject  of  this  memoir  is 
mainly  distinguished.  In  1813,  he  delivered  the  annual  address 
before  the  Society  of  Arts,  of  Albany,  On  the  Mineralogical  Re- 
sources of  the  United  States.  This  we  beheve  was  the  earliest 
systematic  account  of  the  mineral  wealth  of  our  country,  and  the 
production,  which  was  published,  received  from  various  quarters  the 
most  respectful  notice. 

In  1823,  Doctor  Beck  published  his  work  entitled  "  Elements  of 
Medical  Jurisprudence,"  in  two  volumes,  octavo;  which,  at  the  time, 
attracted  great  attention,  and  has  since  continued  a  standard  work 
on  the  subject  of  which  it  treats.  The  science  of  medical  jurispru- 
dence is  one  of  great  interest  and  importance.  It  treats  of  all  those 
questions  in  which  the  testimony  of  a  medical  man  may  be  required 
before  courts  of  justice,  and  from  the  nature  of  many  of  the  questions, 
it  is  obvious  that  their  discussion  requires  the  widest  range  of  medical 
and  scientific  knowledge.  Although  deeply  studied  in  Italy,  France, 
and  Germany,  this  science  had  scarcely  attracted  any  attention,  either 
in  this  country  or  in  England,  previously  to  the  publication  of  the 
work  of  Doctor  Beck.  To  him  is  certainly  due  the  high  credit,  not 
merely  of  rousing  public  attention  to  an  important  and  neglected 
subject,  but  also  of  presenting  a  work  upon  it  which  probably  will 
never  be  entirely  superseded.  In  foreign  countries,  its  merits  have 
been  duly  appreciated  and  magnanimously  acknowledged.  The 
Edinburgh  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal  says  of  it — 

'^  Under  the  unassuming  title  of  Elements  of  Medical  Jurispru.- 


THEODRIC  ROMEYN  BECK. 

dence,  Doctor  Beck  has  presented  us  with  a  comprehensive  system, 
which  embraces  almost  every  vahiable  fact  or  doctrine  relating  to  it. 
Each  of  its  diversified  departments  has  been  investigated  so  minutely, 
that  few  cases  can  occur  in  practice,  on  which  it  will  be  necessary 
to  seek  elsewhere  for  farther  information.  At  the  same  time,  by 
studying  succinctness,  and  shunning  those  verbose  oratorical  details 
with  which  other  writers,  and  particularly  those  of  France,  abound, 
he  has  succeeded  in  rendering  his  treatise  comprehensive  within  a 
singularly  moderate  compass.  We  may  securely  assert,  that  a  work 
on  the  subject  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  language,  which  displays  so 
much  patient  and  discriminating  research,  with  so  little  of  the  mere 
ostentation  of  learning.  The  opinions  expressed  both  on  general 
principles  and  on  the  particular  questions  which  have  occurred  in 
courts  of  law,  are  given  clearly  and  judiciously.  There  are  few 
occasions,  even  where  the  points  at  issue  are  difiicult  and  obscure, 
on  which  persons  of  skill  and  experience  will  be  disposed  to  differ 
materially  with  him." 

In  the  various  medical  colleges  of  Great  Britain  there  has  been, 
we  believe,  no  text  book  on  medical  jurisprudence  positively  adopted  ; 
but  we  have  been  informed  that  Doctor  Beck's  work  has  been  for 
years  recommended  to  students  by  professors. 

In  1828,  it  was  translated  into  German  at  Weimar,  and  has  been 
favorably  received  in  various  parts  of  the  continent  of  Europe. 

It  is  not  alone  the  physician  and  the  jurist  who  are  indebted  to 
Doctor  Beck  for  this  essential  work ;  but  it  has  proved  to  the  general 
reader,  we  believe  invariably,  a  fund  of  interesting  information  ; 
and  we  will  venture  to  say,  that  no  one  has  ever  risen  from  its 
perusal  without  experiencing  an  agreeable  surprise,  that  a  subject  so 
uninviting  in  its  title,  should  afford  so  much  amusement.  The 
remarks  of  a  writer  in  Blackwood's  Magazine  agree  so  well  with  our 
own  experience,  that  we  cannot  do  better  than  adopt  them.  "The 
ignorant  state  in  which  jurymen  continually  come  to  the  consider- 
ation of  points  of  medical  evidence  on  criminal  trials,  is  lamentable. 
In  regard  to  men  of  any  habits  of  reading,  it  is  really  sinful ;  and 
certainly  not  the  less  so,  because  the  works  which  they  ought  to 
read  and  master,  happen  to  be  about  the  most  interesting  and 
amusing  books  in  the  world." 

Doctor  Beck  is  one  of  the  founders  and  active  supporters  of  the 
Albany  institute,  a  scientific  and  literary  association,  which  has 
already  published  the  first  volume  of  its  Transactions,  highly  cre- 
ditable to  itself  and  to  its  members. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

Of  the  personal  qualities  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  it  is  perhaps 
hardly  fit  to  speak.  Suffice  it  to  say,  he  is  universally  respected  and 
esteemed.  Unpretending  in  his  manners  and  studious  in  his  habits, 
the  voice  of  praise  has  not  rendered  him  arrogant  or  indolent,  and 
the  science  of  his  country  has  much  yet  to  hope  from  his  labors  and 
learning. 


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WASHINGTON     IRVING. 


The  subject  of  our  memoir  was  the  youngest  son  of  a  gentleman  of 
Scottish  birth,  who  was  long  settled  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where 
he  exercised  the  profession  of  a  merchant,  and  enjoyed  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  his  contemporaries  for  his  unblemished  integrity  and 
unassuming  worth.  Losing  his  father  at  an  early  age,  the  care  of 
his  education  devolved  upon  his  mother  and  his  elder  brothers. 
Some  of  the  latter  had  already  distinguished  themselves  for  their 
literary  taste  and  ability  as  writers,  while  their  younger  brother  was 
yet  a  child.  In  their  society  he  began,  at  an  early  period,  the 
practice  of  composition,  and  may  be  almost  said  to  have  commenced 
his  education  where  others  are  accustomed  to  finish  it.  We  have 
been  informed,  that  he  manifested  in  his  youth  a  meditative  and 
almost  melancholy  disposition  ;  not,  however,  without  occasional 
and  brilliant  flashes  of  the  humor  that  is  the  distinctive  character  of 
his  most  successful  compositions.  This  disposition  did  not  prevent 
him  from  entering  with  spirit  into  many  of  the  pranks  of  his  comrades, 
or  even  from  becoming  the  plotter  and  ringleader  in  many  a  scheme 
of  merry  mischief 

The  youth  of  the  city  of  New  York  were  then  a  happy  race. 
Their  place  of  residence  had  not  yet  assumed  its  metropolitan  cha- 
racter, and  the  freedom  and  ease  of  almost  rural  life,  were  blended 
with  the  growing  refinements  of  an  increasing  population.  The 
advantageous  position  of  its  port  made  wealth  flow  rapidly  into  its 
merchants'  coffers,  and  the  natives  of  other  parts  of  our  country  had 
not  yet  begun  to  colonize  it,  and  compete  for  a  share  of  its  growing 
riches.  The  elder  members  of  the  community,  seeing  their  property 
increasing  almost  without  knowing  why,  had  not  yet  perceived  the 
necessity  of  drilling  their  children  to  habits  of  early  labor  and  prema- 
ture prudence.  The  gambling  spirit  that  characterized  one  era  of 
the  commercial  history  of  New  York,  had  not  yet  made  its  appear- 
ance; nor  had  that  ardent  competition,  that  steels  the  heart  against 
all  but  selfish  feelings,  been  awakened.     That  system  of  instruction, 


NATIONAL   PORTRAITS. 

which  confines  children  for  six  hours  a  day  in  almost  listless  inactivity 
in  a  school  room,  and  then  dismisses  them,  to  pursue  their  labors 
unassisted  for  even  a  longer  time,  was  not  yet  invented.  School- 
masters yet  thought  it  their  duty  to  instruct;  and  when  their  unruly 
subjects  were  emancipated  from  direct  control,  they  had  no  other 
thought  but  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  in  active  sport,  and  the  night 
in  slumbers,  undisturbed  by  the  dread  of  the  morrow's  task. 

For  the  enjoyment  of  these  vacant  hours,  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  then  offered  the  most  inviting  opportunities.  A  few  minutes' 
walk  brought  the  youth  of  the  city  into  open  and  extensive  pastures, 
diversified  by  wood  and  sheets  of  transparent  water  ;  on  either  hand 
flowed  noble  rivers,  whose  quiet  waters  invited  even  the  most  timid 
to  acquire  "  the  noblest  exercise  of  strength ;"  when  winter  made  such 
recreations  impracticable,  sheets  of  smooth  and  glittering  ice  spread 
themselves  out  to  tempt  the  skater,  and  the  youth  of  the  Manhattoes 
rivalled,  if  not  excelled,  the  glories  of  their  Dutch  father-land,  in  the 
speed  and  activity  with  which  they  glided  over  the  glassy  surface. 

It  may  be  the  partial  recollection  of  our  infancy,  but  it  is  not  less 
the  firm  conviction  of  our  minds,  that  in  all  our  wanderings,  we 
have  seen  no  city,  with  the  exception  of  the  "  dueen  of  the  North," 
whose  environs  possessed  natural  beauties  equal  to  those  of  New 
York.  These  beauties  have  now  vanished— paved  streets  and  piles 
of  tasteless  brick  have  covered  the  grassy  slopes  and  verdant  mea- 
dows ;  the  lofty  hills  have  been  apphed  to  the  ignoble  purpose  of 
filling  up  the  neighboring  lakes.  Nor  should  we  complain  of  these 
changes,  but  consider  the  prosperity,  of  which  they  are  an  evidence, 
as  more  than  equivalent  to  the  destruction  of  wild  and  rural  beauty, 
in  those  places  where  a  crowded  population  has  actually  found  its 
abode  ;  but  we  cannot  tolerate  that  barbarism  that  makes  beauty 
consist  in  straight  lines  and  right  angles,  cuts  our  whole  island  into 
oblono-  squares,  and  considers,  that  to  convert  the  fertile  surface  into 
a  barren  and  sandy  waste,  is  the  only  fit  preparation  for  an  increasing 
city.  The  blossomed  orchards  of  Bayard  and  Delancey  have  given 
place  to  snug  brick  houses,  the  sylvan  deities  have  fled  the  groves 
of  Peters'  field  and  Rose  hill,  and  we  can  rejoice ;  but  why  should 
the  flowery  vales  of  Bloomendahl  be  cut  up  by  streets  and  avenues  ? 
Nor  has  the  spirit  of  devastation  stopped  here,  but  has  invaded  the 
whole  neighborhood,  until  the  antres  and  cliffs  of  Hoboken  have 
given  place  to  a  rail-road. 

The  early  fancies  of  Mr.  Irving  were  deeply  impressed  with  the 
beauty  of  the  natural  scenery  of  the  island  of  Manhattan.     These 


WASHINGTON   IRVING. 

impressions  Iiave  given  birth  to  many  and  choice  passages  in  his 
various  works.  But,  aware  that  such  romantic  fancies  might  come 
with  an  ill  grace  from  one  hackneyed  in  the  ways  of  our  commercial 
and  prosaic  city,  he  has  given  being  to  a  personage,  in  whose  mouth 
they  become  the  utterance  of  patriotic  virtue. 

New  York,  at  that  time,  presented  the  singular  spectacle  of  races 
distinct  in  origin,  character,  and  temper,  struggling,  as  it  were,  for 
ascendency ;  and  although  the  struggle  finally  terminated  happily, 
in  the  utter  confusion  of  all  such  distinctions,  and  the  formation  of  a 
single  civic  character,  it  was  not  the  less  apparent.  Wasted,  too,  as 
was  the  anger  and  anxiety  the  struggle  occasioned  upon  the  most 
petty  objects,  it  presented,  to  a  mind  highly  sensible  to  the  ludicrous, 
most  amusing  matter  of  contemplation.  First  and  most  marked, 
were  to  be  seen  the  descendants  of  the  original  settlers  from  Holland, 
retaining,  in  their  own  separate  intercourse,  the  language  and  habits 
of  their  ancestors,  indulging  the  hereditary  grudge  of  a  conquered 
people  to  its  subduers,  although  moderated  and  tempered  by  native 
kindness  and  good  nature.  Next  was  to  be  remarked  the  New 
Englander,  distinguished  by  his  intelligence  and  activity,  and  just 
beginning  to  enter  into  that  rivalry  with  the  Batavian,  that  has  ended 
in  a  disappearance,  almost  total,  of  patronymic  names  of  the  latter 
from  the  streets  in  which  business  is  transacted.  Before  the  superior 
energy  and  restless  enterprise  of  this  race,  the  Dutch  were  beginning 
to  quail,  and  retaliated  for  the  loss  of  business,  to  which  they  were 
exposed,  by  outward  expressions  of  contempt,  and  inward  feelings  of 
dread  and  apprehension.  Last,  and  least  numerous,  but  at  the  time 
most  distinguished  for  wealth  and  mercantile  influence,  was  to  be 
seen  a  clan  of  Scots.  These  were  shrewd,  calculating,  and  enter- 
prising ;  but  mixed  with  their  habits  of  business  and  economy  much 
hospitality,  and  unchecked,  but  harmless  conviviality.  Accustomed 
from  his  infancy  to  the  contemplation  of  the  character  of  this  race  in 
his  father  and  his  associates,  its  peculiarities  have  not  struck  him  as 
an  object  for  delineation,  or  filial  reverence  has  forbidden  him  to 
attempt  it.  Its  habits  and  manners  have,  however,  evidently  served 
to  bring  out  in  higher  relief  the  peculiarities  of  the  other  races. 

Mr.  Irving  had  hardly  reached  the  age  of  manhood  when  he 
appeared  to  be  threatened  with  a  pulmonary  affection,  as  a  preventive 
of  which,  it  was  considered  expedient  that  he  should  visit  the  south 
of  Europe.  He  therefore  embarked  in  a  vessel  bound  for  the  Medi- 
terranean, and  was  landed  on  the  southern  coast  of  Sicily.  Hence 
he  crossed  that  island  to  Palermo,  whence  he  proceeded  to  NapleSj 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

and  after  making  a  journey  through  Italy  and  France,  reached 
England.     This  voyage,  undertaken  with  far  different  views  than 
those  which  now  usually  direct  the  travels  of  young  Americans,  was 
also  wholly  different  in  its  course,  and  in  the  impressions  it  was 
likely  to  produce.     Instead  of  a  gradual  preparation  for  the  views  of 
the  old  world,  by  a  passage  through  countries  connected  by  ties  of 
blood  and  language,  or  familiar  to  him  in  consequence  of  an  active 
and  frequent  commerce,  he  was  transported,  as  if  in  a  moment,  to 
lands  where,  in  direct  contrast  to  the  continual   strides  his  own 
country  is  making,  every  thing  is  torpid,  and  even  retrograde ;  lands 
in  which  the  objects  of  interest  are  rather  the  glories  of  by -gone 
ages,  than  any  thing  that  the  present  era  can  exhibit.     His  first 
views  of  Europe  exhibited  the  gigantic  ruins  of  Agrigentum,  the 
remains  of  a  polished,  wealthy,  and  numerous  people,  buried  in  a 
desert  waste,  and  surrounded  only  by  comparative  barbarism  and 
poverty.     No  change  of  scene  more  abrupt  can  well  be  imagined, 
and  none  more  likely  to  excite  the  mind  of  youthful  genius.     For 
the  guide  books  and  tours  of  modern  travellers,  that  are  the  usual 
manuals  of  a  tourist,  it  became  necessary  to  substitute  the  writings 
of  the  ancients.     These  would  be  most  favorably  studied  upon  the 
very  spots  where  they  were  written,  or  of  which  they  treat,  and  even 
when  consulted  in  a  mere  translation,  cannot  fail  to  improve  and 
refine  the  taste.     In  the  fine  scenery  of  Calabria,  he  recognised  the 
studies  of  Salvator  Rosa,  and  in  his  progress  through  Italy,  luxu- 
riated in  the  treasures  of  ancient  and  modern  art,  then  almost  a 
sealed  book  to  his  countrymen. 

Before  his  departure  for  Europe  he  had  made  his  first  literary 
essays,  in  a  newspaper  of  which  his  brother.  Dr.  P.  Irving,  was 
editor.  There  is  little  doubt  that  these  were  not  few  in  number,  but 
none  can  now  be  identified,  except  the  series  of  letters  under  the 
signature  of  Jonathan  Oldstyle.  These  were  collected,  as  a  matter 
of  bookselhng  speculation,  after  the  literary  reputation  of  their  author 
was  established,  and  published,  although  without  his  sanction.  His 
return  was  speedily  followed  by  the  appearance  of  the  first  number 
of  Salmagundi.  Those  who  recur  to  this  sprightly  work  at  the 
present  day,  cannot  enter  into  the  feelings  with  which  it  was  received 
at  the  epoch  at  which  it  was  published.  They  will,  indeed,  see  that 
it  is  not  unworthy  of  the  reputation  afterwards  attained  by  those, 
who  have  admitted  themselves  to  have  been  its  authors.  But  the 
exact  and  skilful  adaptation  of  its  delicate  and  witty  allusions  to  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  the  times,  the  rich  humor  with  which 


WASHINGTON   IKVING. 

prevailing  follies  were  held  up  to  ridicule,  and,  above  all,  the  exquisite 
good  nature  of  the  satire,  that  made  it  almost  an  honor  to  have 
been  its  object,  rendered  Salmagundi  the  most  popular  work  that 
had  ever  issued  from  the  American  press.     Until  it  made  its  appear- 
ance, our  literary  eiforts  had  been  almost  wholly  confined  to  serious 
discussions   upon  general   and  local  politics;    if  a  few  works   of 
fancy  had  been  produced,  the  age  was  not  ripe  for  their  reception, 
and,  as  in  the  case  of  Brown,  they  procured  for  their  authors  no 
more  than  a  posthumous  fame.     The  well  founded  belief,  that  Mr. 
Irving  had  been  the  principal  writer  in  Salmagundi,  placed  him,  at 
once,  first  in  the  list  of  the  living  authors  of  America.     His  next 
literary  production  was,  "  The  History  of  New  York,  by  Diedrich 
Knickerbocker."     The  idea  of  this  humorous  work  appears  to  have 
been  suggested  to  him  by  the  establishment  of  a  historical  society  in 
New  York,  and  the  announcement,  that  one  of  its  members  was 
about  to  compile  from  its  collections  a  history  of  the  early  periods  of 
our  colonial  existence.     Identifying  himself,  in  imagination,  with  a 
descendant  of  the  original  Dutch  settlers,  he  adopted,  in  his  fictitious 
character,  all  the  feelings  and  prejudices  that  might  well  be  supposed 
to  be  inherent  in  that  race,  with  an  air  of  gravity  and  verisimilitude 
that  is  well  calculated  to  mislead  a  reader  not  previously  aware  of 
the  deception.     The  public  was  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the 
work  by  advertisements,  ingeniously  planned  and  worded,  in  which 
the  supposed  landlord  of  the  imaginary  author  expressed  his  anxiety 
for  the  safety  of  his  guest,  until  it  might  fairly  have  been  believed 
that   the   veracious   historian   had  actually  disappeared   from  his 
lodgings.     So  perfect  was  the  deception,  that  many  commenced  the 
work  in  full  belief  of  its  being  serious,  and  gravely  toiled  through 
many  of  its  pages  before  the  wit,  and  an  interest  too  intense  to  be 
created  by  so  trivial  a  subject  as  the  annals  of  a  little  Dutch  borough, 
undeceived  them.     The  author  frequently  delighted  himself,  and  we 
are  sure  must  still  recur  with  pleasure,  to  the  anecdote  of  an  aged 
and  most  respectable  clergyman,  who,  taking  up  the  work,  without 
referring  to  its  title  page  or  introduction,  read  many  of  its  chapters 
in  the  full  belief  that  it  was  the  production  of  a  clerical  brother,  who 
had  promised  a  history  of  the  same  period,  and  was  only  gradually 
aroused  to  a  suspicion  of  his  mistake,  by  the  continued  variation  of 
the  style  from  grave  and  solemn  irony,  through  lively  wit  and  poio-. 
nant  humor,  until  it  fairly  bordered  on  tlie  ludicrous.     Such  is  the 
character  of  this  veracious  history,  the  mask  is  worn  at  first  with  the 
greatest  gravity,  yet  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  effect  to  the  keenest 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

and  most  poignant  satire,  while  as  soon  as  it  becomes  impossible  for 
the  reader  to  credit  that  it  is  other  than  a  work  of  fancy,  the  author 
gives  full  play  to  his  imagination,  and  riots  in  an  excess  of  delicate 
wit  and  playful  humor.  Yet  are  not  these  the  sole  merits  of  the 
work :  it  is  occasionally  tender,  and  even  pathetic ;  often  replete  with 
lively  pictures,  worthy,  when  of  character  and  costume,  of  the  pencil 
of  a  Teniers  ;  when  of  scenery,  of  that  of  Claude.  In  addition,  the 
style  is  the  purest  idiomatic  Enghsh  that  had  been  written  for  many 
a  year,  and  carries  us  back  to  the  glories  of  an  Augustan  age.  It  is 
in  marked  contrast,  not  only  with  the  barbarisms  of  the  American 
newspaper  writers  of  his  day,  but  with  the  corruptions  of  the  pure 
fount  that  their  English  critics  are  themselves  guilty  of.  This  grace 
and  purity  of  style  is  also  to  be  remarked  in  all  his  subsequent 
writings  ;  but  his  Knickerbocker  possesses,  in  addition,  more  of  nerve 
and  force  than  they  in  general  do.  Its  language  is  either  that  in 
which  his  thoughts  spontaneously  flowed,  or,  if  elaborated,  exhibits 
that  perfection  of  art  which  hides  the  means  by  which  the  effect  is 
produced.  His  other  works  do  not  always  conceal  the  labor  by 
which  the  polish  has  been  attained,  and  the  very  grace  and  smooth- 
ness of  the  periods,  sometimes  seems  to  call  for  a  relief  to  the  ear, 
like  that  which  skilful  musicians  sometimes  apply,  in  the  form  of  an 
occasional  discord. 

Were  we,  however,  to  be  asked  where  we  are  to  find  the  prose 
language  of  England  in  its  highest  degree  of  perfection,  we  think 
we  might  safely  point  to  the  works  of  Mr.  Irving  ;  these  are  com- 
posed in  a  style  more  correct  than  that  of  Addison,  more  forcible 
than  that  of  Goldsmith,  more  idiomatic  than  that  of  the  writers  of 
the  Scottish  school ;  and,  while  it  takes  advantage  of  the  engraftation 
of  words  of  Latin  and  Grecian  origin  upon  the  Anglo-Saxon,  it  is 
far  removed  from  the  learned  affectation  of  Johnson. 

The  hours  in  which  the  papers  of  Salmagundi  were  composed, 
and  the  History  of  the  New  Netherlands  compiled,  were  stolen  from 
the  dry  study  of  the  law.  To  this,  Mr.  Irving  seemed  for  a  time 
to  be  condemned,  and  in  spite  of  the  gravity  with  which,  as  in  the 
case  of  Murray,  the  heads  of  judges  were  shaken  at  him  as  a  wit,  he 
persevered  in  it,  and  obtained  his  license  to  practice.  It  is  even  said, 
that  he  opened  an  oflice,  and  that  his  name  was  seen  painted  on  a 
sign,  with  the  adjunct,  "  Attorney  at  Law."  But  it  was  not  predes- 
tined that  Mr.  Irving  should  merge  these  grave  doubts  in  the  honors 
of  the  woolsack.  A  client  was  indeed  found  hardy  enough  to  trust 
his  cause  to  the  young  barrister,  but  an  oppressive  feeling  of  diffi- 


WASHINGTON   IRVING. 

dence  caused  him  to  shrink  from  trying  it,  and  it  was  gladly  aban- 
doned to  a  brother  lawyer  of  far  less  talent,  but  who  possessed  a 
more  happy  degree  of  confidence  in  his  own  forensic  abilities.  This 
diffidence,  literary  success  has  converted  into  an  innate  and  unaffected 
modesty,  that  adds  not  a  little  to  Mr.  Irving's  agreeable  qualities, 
and  which  is  rare  in  a  person  possessed  of  so  high  a  reputation  as 
he  enjoys. 

The  literary  pursuits  of  Mr.  Irving  were  interrupted  for  several 
years  after  the  publication  of  Knickerbocker.  During  this  interval, 
he  was  admitted  by  his  brothers  into  a  commercial  establishment, 
that  they  were  then  successfully  carrying  on,  and  in  which,  it 
appeared,  he  might  be  more  profitably  engaged  than  as  an  author. 
The  business  of  this  mercantile  house  being  interrupted  by  the  war 
with  Great  Britain,  Mr.  Irving  was  left  free  to  share  in  the  general 
military  spirit  that  the  capture  of  Washington,  and  the  threatenings 
of  the  enemy  to  attack  New  York,  awakened  in  all  classes  of  the 
community.  His  services  were  tendered  to  Governor  Tompkins, 
then  commanding  the  district  of  New  York,  and  he  was  received 
into  his  staff  as  an  aid-de-camp.  In  this  employment  he  was  long 
engaged,  and  performed  its  duties  with  great  zeal,  not  only  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  his  native  city,  but  in  several  missions  of 
importance  to  the  interior  of  the  state.  The  peace  put  an  end  to 
this  occupation,  and  he  returned  to  his  commercial  pursuits,  in  the 
furtherance  of  which,  he  visited  England  in  the  spring  of  1815, 
taking  up  his  abode  at  Birmingham. 

His  previous  visit  to  England  had  been  made  in  winter,  and  he 
had  made  no  other  excursion  but  in  the  mail  from  London  to  Bath, 
at  a  season  when  the  shortness  of  the  day  gave  but  little  opportunity 
to  view  the  country.  The  peculiar  beauties  of  English  scenery, 
therefore,  broke  upon  him  with  unexpected  brilliancy.  Birmingham, 
if  it  have  in  itself  little  to  interest,  except  its  rich  and  prosperous 
manufactures,  is  situated  in  a  district  of  no  little  rural  beauty ;  and 
within  a  few  hours  ride,  are  to  be  found  some  of  the  sites  that  recall 
the  most  exciting  passages  of  Englisli  history,  or  awaken  the  most 
pleasing  literary  recollections.  Kenil worth  and  Warwick  exhibit, 
the  one  the  most  splendid  remains  of  baronial  grandeur,  the  other 
the  only  perfect  specimen  of  the  feudal  castle  ;  Stratford  on  the  Avon 
still  possesses  the  house  in  which  Shakspcare  drew  his  first  breath, 
and  the  picturesque  Gothic  cliurch,  in  which  his  remains  repose 
safely,  under  the  protection  of  his  poetic  malediction;  the  Lucies  still 
inhabit  the  manor  house,  from  whose  park  the  deer  was  stolen  that 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

fixed  the  course  of  the  great  dramatist's  existence.  In  every  direction, 
episcopal  cities  raised  high  the  turrets  of  their  venerable  minsters, 
and  spread  abroad  their  shadowy  cloisters,  while  hedge  row,  and 
mead,  and  cultured  field,  spoke  of  the  successful  toils  of  a  rural  life, 
more  inviting,  perhaps,  to  the  romantic  fancy,  than  agreeable  to  those 
who  are  compelled  to  pursue  them.  To  one  who  had  already  cele- 
brated the  restless  enterprise  of  the  swarms  of  the  New  England 
hive,  who  spread  like  locusts  over  the  wilderness,  destroying  every 
tree,  and  laying  waste  every  germ  of  natural  beauty,  the  calm  con- 
trast aftbrded  by  the  farmers  of  England,  generations  of  whom  are 
born  in  the  same  cottage,  and  entombed  beneath  the  same  yews, 
was  a  subject  of  agreeable  study. 

The  neighborhood  of  Birmingham  did  not  long  delay  him,  but 
served  to  excite  his  desire  to  see  more  of  England.  He,  therefore, 
in  the  summer  that  followed  his  arrival,  joined  a  friend  in  a  tour 
through  the  valley  of  the  Severn,  Gloucestershire,  and  Wales.  The 
letters  addressed  by  him  at  this  period  to  his  American  friends, 
would,  if  published,  form  the  most  interesting  portions  of  his  works, 
and  exhibit,  with  greater  freshness,  descriptions  of  scenery  and  cha- 
racter, like  the  rich  pictures  that  he  afterwards  embodied  in  the 
Sketch  Book  and  Bracebridge  Hall. 

Mr.  Irving's  literary  career  might  have  now  been  considered  at 
an  end ;  his  commercial  connections  appeared  to  promise  him  wealth, 
more  than  commensurate  with  his  wishes.  But  the  unhappy  revo- 
lution in  the  business  of  New  York,  that  followed  the  unexampled 
profits  with  which  the  first  importations  were  attended,  prostrated 
the  mercantile  house  with  which  he  was  connected,  along  with 
many  of  the  most  respectable,  and  even  opulent  merchants  of  the 
United  States.  This  blow,  however  painful  at  the  time,  had  the 
happy  effect  of  restoring  him  to  the  world  of  literature.  He  prepared 
his  Sketch  Book,  and  took  measures  to  have  it  simultaneously 
published  in  London  and  America.  Its  success  was  complete.  His 
own  countrymen  hailed  with  joy,  the  renewal  of  the  exertions  in 
which  they  had  before  delighted,  and  the  English  nation  joined  to 
applaud  the  author,  who,  without  abandoning  his  just  national 
pride,  was  yet  sensible  to  those  feelings  in  which  Englishmen  glory, 
and  exhibited  the  honest  exultation  of  a  descendant,  in  the  honors 
of  the  mighty  names  that  have  embellished  the  literary  annals  of 
Great  Britain. 

The  Sketch  Book  was  admired,  and  its  author  sought  for ;  the 
aristocratic  circles  of  the  British  metropohs  received  with  open  arms 


WASHINGTON   IRVING. 

the  transatlantic  writer ;  and  names  of  no  small  note  in  modern 
literature,  did  not  disdain  to  be  ranked  on  the  list  of  his  imitators. 
He  may  justly  pride  himself  on  having  pointed  out  a  new  track  to  a 
host  of  aspirants,  and  to  have,  himself,  surpassed  all  who  followed 
him  in  it.  Works  upon  a  similar  plan  were  eagerly  asked  from 
him ;  their  appearance,  at  no  distant  intervals,  increased  his  fame, 
and  soon  left  him  no  cause  to  regret  the  prostration  of  his  com- 
mercial hopes. 

The  honors  of  Mr.  Irving  were  not  limited  to  the  chmes,  extensive 
though  they  be,  in  which  the  English  tongue  is  spoken.  Transla- 
tions were  made  of  his  tales  into  most  of  the  languages  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  when  he  subsequently  visited  France,  Germany,  and 
Spain,  he  found  himself  received  with  the  honors  due  to  a  national 
favorite.  In  the  last  named  kingdom,  he  undertook  the  task  of 
giving  to  his  country  and  to  Europe,  the  history  of  the  life  of  that 
hero,  who,  in  the  words  of  his  epitaph,  gave  a  new  world  to  Castile 
and  Leon,  but  who  may  be  said,  with  more  justice,  to  have  opened 
to  the  oppressed  of  every  clime  a  secure  and  safe  refuge,  a  field,  in 
which  the  principles  of  freedom  might  be  safely  cultivated.  This 
enterprise  was  not  wanting  in  boldness,  as  it  placed  him  in  imme- 
diate comparison  with  one  of  the  most  celebrated  among  British 
historians ;  but  it  was  eminently  successful,  as  was  its  interesting 
abridgment.  These  are  destined,  the  one  to  be  the  first  in  every 
collection  of  American  history,  the  other  to  be  tlie  earliest  study  of 
American  youth.  His  tour  in  Spain  led  him  to  the  halls  of  the 
Alhambra,  where  he  was  delayed  by  the  exciting  visions  they  called 
up,  of  the  chivalrous  times  when  the  haughty  Castilian,  and  the 
gallant  Arab,  held  their  last  contest  for  the  possession  of  the  fair 
realm  of  Grenada.  Such  associations  have  given  birth  to  two  suc- 
cessful works.  These  were  succeeded  by  the  Adventures  of  the  Com- 
panions of  Columbus,  the  brave  partners  of  his  perilous  enterprise, 
we  wish  we  could  add,  his  imitators  in  humanity  and  benevolence. 

On  the  return  of  Mr.  Irving  to  his  native  country,  he  was  greeted 
with  a  degree  of  warmth  rarely  equalled.  To  many,  he  was  en- 
deared by  the  recollection  of  intimate  and  affectionate  intercourse, 
while  a  new  generation,  that  had  sprung  up  in  his  absence,  crowded 
with  zeal  to  see  and  honor,  the  pride  of  the  literature  of  America — 
the  author,  who  had  first  and  successfully  answered  the  reproachful 
question,  "  Who  reads  an  American  book  ?"  Had  he  felt  inclined  to 
have  encouraged  the  public  enthusiasm,  his  tour  throughout  the 
United  States  might  have  been  one  continued  ovation. 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

He  has,  since  his  arrival,  made  an  expedition  to  view  the  abori- 
gines of  our  country  in  their  native  seats,  and  where  their  character 
is  uncontaminated  with  those  of  European  descent.  The  hterary 
world  has  ah-eady  received  a  foretaste  of  the  pleasure  it  is  likely  to 
derive,  from  the  new  views  that  this  Western  tour  has  opened. 

We  have  not  heard  that  Mr.  Irving  is,  at  present,  engaged  in  any 
literary  enterprise.  We  have,  however,  a  pledge  in  the  fertility  of 
invention  he  has  hitherto  shown,  that  he  is  not  idle,  nor  is  his  task 
accomplished ;  still,  it  remains  that  he  should  pursue  the  career  he 
has  opened  to  himself  in  the  annals  of  this  continent.  The  downfall 
of  the  empires  of  the  Aztecs  and  Incas,  asks  for  a  worthy  historian ; 
the  generous  advocate  of  Philip  of  Pokanoket,  may  yet  find  an  ample 
field  in  the  early  adventures  of  the  British  colonists,  and  in  their 
struggles  with  that  warlike  race,  which,  for  a  time,  bravely  withstood 
their  superior  civilization  and  intelligence  ;  finally,  his  native  Hudson 
claims  of  him  that  he,  who  in  his  youth  first  made  its  banks  vocal 
to  the  strains  of  satire,  shall,  in  his  mature  age,  make  them  renowned, 
as  the  habitation  of  the  Historian  of  the  Western  continent. 

10 


CATHAEIKE  M.  SKBGWICK 


-CSS  .intho7oarl832by  James  lloniiiginthe  deri^  office  ofCKe 


MISS     SEDGWICK. 


The  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  as  appears  by  Farmer's  Register 
of  the  New  England  settlers,  is  descended,  on  her  father's  side,  from 
Robert  Sedgwick,  a  major  general  in  Cromwell's  service,  who  died  in 
the  great  expedition  against  the  Spanish  West-Indies. 

Her  father  was  the  Honorable  Theodore  Sedgwick  of  Stockbridge, 
Massachusetts,  who  served  his  country  with  distinguished  reputation 
in  various  stations,  and  particularly  as  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, and  as  Senator  in  Congress ;  and  who,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  was  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  his  state. 

Her  grandfather  by  the  mother's  side  was  Joseph  Dwight,  a  briga- 
dier general  of  the  Massachusetts  Provincial  forces,  and  actively 
engaged  in  the  old  French  war  of  1756. 

Miss  Sedgwick  was  born  at  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  in  that 
beautiful  district  of  country,  where  the  mountains  present  every  va- 
riety of  beauty,  and  seem  from  their  nearness  to  possess  and  to  attract 
a  sort  of  familiarity  not  usual  in  scenery  of  so  much  boldness — and 
where  the  Housatonic,  with  its  alternately  rapid,  and  scarcely  moving, 
current,  winds  its  way  through  choked  and  rocky  passages,  and 
beautiful  intervals  of  meadow.  Those  who  have  visited  these  scenes, 
will,  if  they  have  an  eye  for  such  things,  discern  many  of  the  traces  of 
beauty  wliich  must  have  made  a  deep  impression  upon  Miss  Sedg- 
wick's mind,  and  have  constituted  an  important  part  of  its  education. 
If  the  traveller  should  have  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  a  guide 
as  intelligent  as  he,  who  pointed  out  to  us  the  paths  which  our 
curiosity  might  otherwise  have  sought  in  vain,  he  may  ascend  the 
very  rock,  carpeted  with  fresh  moss,  from  which  Crazy  Bet  poured 
forth  her  wild  snatches  of  eloquence,  half  frenzy  and  half  inspiration. 
He  may  view  "the  sacrifice  rock,"  where  the  noble,  the  sublime, 
Magawisca  rushed  between  the  descending  hatchet  of  her  father 
and  the  neck  of  Evelyn— of  Evelyn,  for  whom  she  felt  a  sentiment 
higher  and  purer  than  that  of  love,  if  such  there  may  be ;  for  we 
suppose  that  the  thought  of  being  his  wife  never  visited  her  maiden 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

broken,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Redwood  was  given  to  the  public. 
The  popularity  of  this  work  has  not  been  rivalled  by  any  of  the 
author's  productions,  unless  Hope  Leslie  be  an  exception. 

The  nature  of  this  notice  forbids  any  thing  like  a  critique  upon  any 
of  the  works  under  consideration.  But  we  must  be  permitted  to  say, 
that  we  consider  Miss  Debby  Lennox  one  of  the  most  original  and 
best  delineations  throughout,  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  is 
perhaps  impossible  to  explain  the  secrets  of  that  wonderful  combina- 
tion by  which  a  writer  of  genius  brings  before  us  the  creatures  of  his 
imagination,  in  such  a  way  that  we  feel  them  to  be  as  real  existences 
as  any  persons  in  history,  or  among  our  acquaintances.  Analysis 
may  show  us  what  are  the  component  parts  of  the  character,  but  it 
scarcely  serves  to  explain  the  mystery  of  its  influence  upon  us,  better 
than  a  dissection  can  exhibit  the  living  functions  of  the  human  frame, 
or  the  secret  of  its  life.  There  are  but  very  few  instances  in  the 
whole  range  of  fiction,  or  at  least  in  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with  it, 
in  which  the  character  throughout,  if  we  may  so  say,  speaks  for  him- 
self, and  not  the  author,  for  him ;  or,  in  other  words,  in  which  every 
expression  and  motion  seem  to  be  those  of  a  real  person.  Such  a 
character  is  not  a  picture,  nor  a  statue,  nor  an  admirable  automaton, 
nor  a  personification  of  any  nameable  qualities ;  but  an  independent, 
self-existent  being,  a  fellow-creature.  Such  beings  come  to  be  of  the 
number  of  our  associates  or  friends.  The  power  of  such  a  creation 
is  among  the  rarest  gifts,  if  not  the  very  highest  endowments  of 
genius.  And  whatever  may  be  the  station  of  Deborah  Lennox  in 
this  society,  she  appears  to  us  to  be  one  of  its  members,  as  decidedly 
as  Old  Mause,  or  Cuddy  Headrigg,  or  even  Jeanie  Deans  herself.  So 
absolute  is  her  identity  to  our  minds,  that  we  think  we  should  recog- 
nise her  famous  "lutestring  changeable,"  even  if  it  were  to  walk 
forth  without  its  proprietor. 

Redwood  was  admired  abroad,  nearly  as  much  as  in  this  country. 
It  was  published  in  England  and  translated  into  French,  the  transla- 
tion bearing  on  its  title  page  a  claim  to  favor,  which,  perhaps,  no 
other  American  name  could  have  conferred,  being  announced  as  "par 
M.  Cooper,  auteur  d'une  histoire  de  la  nouvelle  Angleterre,"  &c.  <fcc. 
The  same  work  soon  after  appeared  in  an  Italian  costume. 

We  have  expressed  a  doubt  whether  any  other  work  of  Miss  Sedg- 
wick ever  acquired  so  much  popularity  as  Redwood.  We  do  not 
profess,  however,  to  be  so  good  judges  as  the  booksellers,  on  that 
point.  But  we  may  be  permitted  to  declare  the  judgment  of  the 
select  few,  to  which  class  the  polite  reader  will,  of  course,  understand 


MISS  SEDGWICK. 

that  we,  and  all  the  critics,  belong.  With  all  that  select  corps,  we 
believe,  and  with  ourselves  we  are  sure,  Hope  Leslie  stands  first,  we 
might  almost  say,  stands  alone.  We  have  always  imagined,  with 
what  truth  those  who  know  the  author  better,  will  judge,  that  the 
fine  spirit,  the  delicacy,  the  purity,  the  impulsiveness,  the  generosity, 
tenderness,  piety,  and,  if  we  may  be  permitted  to  add,  weaknesses,  or 
rather  womanishnesses  of  the  heroine  of  the  work,  were,  for  the  most 
part  a  transcript  of  the  character  of  the  author.  If  this  were  not  true, 
we  should  admire  Hope  Leslie  more  than  any  other  creation  of  the 
author,  but  not  doubting  it,  we  certainly  admire  and  love  her  more 
than  any  of  her  sisters,  if  this  relationship  may  be  imputed  to  all 
the  female  descendants  of  a  common  parent  by  literary  genealogy. 

But  even  Hope  Leslie  is  not  without  a  rival.  Magawisca  inspires 
a  loftier  sentiment.  She  is  full  of  moral  grandeur ;  but  there  is  a 
feeling  of  loneliness  accompanying  and  inseparable,  from  the  eleva- 
tion of  her  character,  which,  while  it  renders  it  impossible  that  any^ 
one  should  be  the  sharer  and  arbiter  of  her  fortunes,  excludes  her, 
perhaps,  in  some  measure,  from  the  fulness  of  our  sympathy.  And 
it  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  author  has  rendered  herself  obnox- 
ious to  the  charge  of  having  transcended  all  the  limits  of  probability 
in  the  extreme  refinement,  and  we  may  add,  polish  of  character, 
which  she  has  given  to  this  representative  of  an  injured  race;  unless, 
indeed,  the  ancient  canon  of  criticism,  upon  this  point,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  abolished  by  the  example  of  the  great  magician,  in  the 
"  unimitated  and  inimitable"  Rebecca. 

We  have  not  left  ourselves  room  for  any  particular  remarks  upon 
the  residue  of  Miss  Sedgwick's  works.  Clarence,  the  last  of  her 
larger  productions,  is  the  only  one  which,  as  far  as  we  have  heard, 
ever  reached  a  second  edition  in  England,  where  they  have  all  been 
republished,  and  where,  as  well  as  we  can  learn  by  our  countrymen, 
who  have  had  an  opportunity  of  judging,  they  have  been  very  justly 

appreciated. 

Le  Bossu,  which  has  recently  appeared,  is  gready  and  justly 
admired,  and  fully  sustains  the  reputation  of  its  author.  This  is  the 
best  of  her  smaller  works,  and  perhaps  the  most  finished  of  them  all. 
This  tale  properly  belongs  to  the  class  of  historical  romances.  The 
author  has  taken  the  hberty  in  one  or  two  instances,  of  which  she  was 
doubtless  well  aware,  to  transpose  the  order  of  events.  While  we 
leave  to  others  the  vindication  of  the  rights  of  criticism  upon  this 
point,  we  must  be  permitted  to  express  our  satisfaction  and  delight  at 
the  fidelity  with  which  she  has  transferred  to  her  pages  the  true 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

broken,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Redwood  was  given  to  the  public. 
The  popularity  of  this  work  has  not  been  rivalled  by  any  of  the 
author's  productions,  unless  Hope  Leslie  be  an  exception. 

The  nature  of  this  notice  forbids  any  thing  like  a  critique  upon  any 
of  the  works  under  consideration.  But  we  must  be  permitted  to  say, 
that  we  consider  Miss  Debby  Lennox  one  of  the  most  original  and 
best  delineations  throughout,  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  is 
perhaps  impossible  to  explain  the  secrets  of  that  wonderful  combina- 
tion by  which  a  writer  of  genius  brings  before  us  the  creatures  of  his 
imagination,  in  such  a  way  that  we  feel  them  to  be  as  real  existences 
as  any  persons  in  history,  or  among  our  acquaintances.  Analysis 
may  show  us  what  are  the  component  parts  of  the  character,  but  it 
scarcely  serves  to  explain  the  mystery  of  its  influence  upon  us,  better 
than  a  dissection  can  exhibit  the  living  functions  of  the  human  frame, 
or  the  secret  of  its  life.  There  are  but  very  few  instances  in  the 
whole  range  of  fiction,  or  at  least  in  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with  it, 
in  which  the  character  throughout,  if  we  may  so  say,  speaks  for  him- 
self, and  not  the  author,  for  him  ;  or,  in  other  words,  in  which  every 
expression  and  motion  seem  to  be  those  of  a  real  person.  Such  a 
character  is  not  a  picture,  nor  a  statue,  nor  an  admirable  automaton, 
nor  a  personification  of  any  nameable  qualities ;  but  an  independent, 
self-existent  being,  a  fellow-creature.  Such  beings  come  to  be  of  the 
number  of  our  associates  or  friends.  The  power  of  such  a  creation 
is  among  the  rarest  gifts,  if  not  the  very  highest  endowments  of 
genius.  And  whatever  may  be  the  station  of  Deborah  Lennox  in 
this  society,  she  appears  to  us  to  be  one  of  its  members,  as  decidedly 
as  Old  Mause,  or  Cuddy  Headrigg,  or  even  Jeanie  Deans  herself.  So 
absolute  is  her  identity  to  our  minds,  that  we  think  we  should  recog- 
nise her  famous  "lutestring  changeable,"  even  if  it  were  to  walk 
forth  without  its  proprietor. 

Redwood  was  admired  abroad,  nearly  as  much  as  in  this  country. 
It  was  published  in  England  and  translated  into  French,  the  transla- 
tion bearing  on  its  title  page  a  claim  to  favor,  which,  perhaps,  no 
other  American  name  could  have  conferred,  being  announced  as  "par 
M.  Cooper,  auteur  d'une  histoire  de  la  nouvelle  Angleterre,"  &c.  &c. 
The  same  work  soon  after  appeared  in  an  Italian  costume. 

We  have  expressed  a  doubt  whether  any  other  work  of  Miss  Sedg- 
wick ever  acquired  so  much  popularity  as  Redwood.  We  do  not 
profess,  however,  to  be  so  good  judges  as  the  booksellers,  on  that 
point.  But  we  may  be  permitted  to  declare  the  judgment  of  the 
select  few,  to  which  class  the  polite  reader  will,  of  course,  understand 


MISS  SEDGWICK. 

that  we,  and  all  the  critics,  belong.  With  all  that  select  corps,  we 
believe,  and  with  ourselves  we  are  sure,  Hope  Leslie  stands  first,  we 
might  almost  say,  stands  alone.  We  have  always  imagined,  with 
what  truth  those  who  know  the  author  better,  will  judge,  that  the 
fine  spirit,  the  delicacy,  the  purity,  the  impulsiveness,  the  generosity, 
tenderness,  piety,  and,  if  we  may  be  permitted  to  add,  weaknesses,  or 
rather  womanishnesses  of  the  heroine  of  the  work,  were,  for  the  most 
part  a  transcript  of  the  character  of  the  author.  If  this  were  not  true, 
we  should  admire  Hope  Leslie  more  than  any  other  creation  of  the 
author,  but  not  doubting  it,  we  certainly  admire  and  love  her  more 
than  any  of  her  sisters,  if  this  relationship  may  be  imputed  to  all 
the  female  descendants  of  a  common  parent  by  literary  genealogy. 

But  even  Hope  Leslie  is  not  without  a  rival.  Magawisca  inspires 
a  loftier  sentiment.  She  is  full  of  moral  grandeur ;  but  there  is  a 
feeling  of  loneliness  accompanying  and  inseparable,  from  the  eleva- 
tion of  her  character,  which,  while  it  renders  it  impossible  that  any 
one  should  be  the  sharer  and  arbiter  of  her  fortunes,  excludes  her,' 
perhaps,  in  some  measure,  from  the  fulness  of  our  sympathy.  And 
it  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  author  has  rendered  herself  obnox- 
ious to  the  charge  of  having  transcended  all  the  limits  of  probability 
in  the  extreme  refinement,  and  we  may  add,  polish  of  character, 
which  she  has  given  to  this  representative  of  an  injured  race ;  unless, 
indeed,  the  ancient  canon  of  criticism,  upon  this  point,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  abolished  by  the  example  of  the  great  magician,  in  the 
"  unimitated  and  inimitable"  Rebecca. 

We  have  not  left  ourselves  room  for  any  particular  remarks  upon 
the  residue  of  Miss  Sedgwick's  works.  Clarence,  the  last  of  her 
larger  productions,  is  the  only  one  which,  as  far  as  we  have  heard, 
ever  reached  a  second  edition  in  England,  where  they  have  all  been 
republished,  and  where,  as  well  as  we  can  learn  by  our  countrymen, 
who  have  had  an  opportunity  of  judging,  they  have  been  very  justly 
appreciated. 

Le  Bossu,  which  has  recently  appeared,  is  greatly  and  justly 
admired,  and  fully  sustains  the  reputation  of  its  author.  This  is  the 
best  of  her  smaller  works,  and  perhaps  the  most  finished  of  them  all. 
This  tale  properly  belongs  to  the  class  of  historical  romances.  The 
author  has  taken  the  liberty  in  one  or  two  instances,  of  which  she  was 
doubtless  well  aware,  to  transpose  the  order  of  events.  While  we 
leave  to  others  the  vindication  of  the  rights  of  criticism  upon  this 
point,  we  must  be  permitted  to  express  our  satisfaction  and  delight  at 
the  fidelity  with  which  she  has  transferred  to  her  pages  the  true 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

impress  and  spirit  of  the  times  of  Charlemagne.  This  tale  is  equally 
remarkable  for  its  finished  portraiture  of  individual  character,  for  the 
grouping  of  the  dramatis  personse,  for  the  skill  and  contrivance  of 
the  incidents,  for  the  grace  of  its  decorations,  and  for  its  constant  and 
spirit-stirring  action. 

If  we  might  be  permitted  to  advise  her  upon  the  subject  of  literary- 
partnerships,  like  that  of  Glauber  Spa,  we  would  counsel  her  never 
to  engage  in  another.  Not  that  we  have  any  objections  to  this  asso- 
ciation in  particular— but  we  prefer  Miss  Sedgwick  by  herself. 
And  moreover,  we  think  such  associations  dangerous  for  a  lady. 
Not  that  she  would  be  in  any  sense  responsible  for  any  latitudina- 
rianism,  either  in  morals  or  taste,  which  such  a  work  might  contain 
—but  nevertheless,  in  case  of  such  delinquency,  she  would  be  asso- 
ciated with  it,  in  the  public  mind,  to  a  certain  extent.  While  we 
are  talking  of  this  beautiful  tale,  we  may  be  permitted  to  say  that  a 
collection  of  Miss  Sedgwick's  contributions  to  the  Souvenirs,  would 
form  two  delightful,  and  we  doubt  not,  popular  volumes. 

But  we  have  left  ourselves  little  room  to  speak  of  the  general  cha- 
racter of  Miss  Sedgwick's  wi'itings,  or  of  the  place  which  they  occupy 
in  American  literature.  A  discussion  of  this  last  topic  may  be  well 
spared  in  this  notice,  but  we  would  not  entirely  pass  by  the  first, 
because  we  regard  these  writings  as  affording,  in  an  eminent  degree, 
an  index  of  the  heart,  as  well  as  of  the  mind,  of  the  writer. 

It  is  evident  that  Miss  Sedgwick's  mind  inclines  towards  cheerful 
views  of  life.     There  seems  to  be  implanted  in  her  heart  a  love  of 
goodness,  and  of  the  beautiful,  which  turns  as  naturally  towards  sere- 
nity and  joy,  as  flowers  lean  towards  the  sun.     It  is  manifest  that 
though  possessing  great  refinement  herself,  her  sympathies  are  not 
confined  to  a  coterie  or  a  class,  but  that  they  are  called  forth  by  every 
manifestation  of  virtue,  even  in  the  most  humble  circumstances,  and 
that  she  looks  with  kind  regard  upon  those  gleams  of  a  better  nature 
which  occasionally  break  forth  amid  prevailing  clouds  and  darkness. 
She  affects  no  indifference  to  the  accidental  advantages  of  condi- 
tion.    It  would  be  impossible  to  diminish  her  interest  in  the  powers 
and  fascinations  of  genius  and  imagination,  and  she  thinks  it  no  duty 
to  attempt  it.     But  her  highest  favor  and  affection  are  reserved  for 
that  enduring  virtue,  which  is  perfected  through  much  trial  and  tri- 
bulation, and  which  needs  no  earthly  witness,  or  outward  reward. 
She  delights  to  see  the  "  signet  of  hope  upon  the  brow  of  infancy ;" 
but  she  remembers  with  more  satisfaction  the  last  smile  of  unfaltering 
faith  and  love,  which  even  death  itself  spares  for  a  season. 


MISS  SEDGWICK. 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  of  her  works  without  a  particular  regard 
to  their  moral  and  religious  character.  We  know  no  writer  of  the 
class  to  which  she  belongs,  who  has  done  more  to  inculcate  just  reli- 
gious sentiments.  They  are  never  obtruded,  nor  are  they  ever  sup- 
pressed. It  is  not  the  religion  of  observances,  nor  of  professions,  nor 
of  articles  of  faith,  but  of  the  heart  and  life.  It  always  comes  forth, 
not  as  something  said  or  done  from  a  sense  of  necessity  or  duty,  but  as 
part  of  the  character  and  inseparable  from  its  strength,  as  well  as  from 
its  grace  and  beauty.  It  is  a  union  of  that  faith  wliich  works  by 
love,  with  that  charity  which  never  faileth. 

There  is  another  characteristic  of  Miss  Sedgwick's  writings 
which  should  not  be  overlooked.  We  allude  to  their  great  good  sense, 
and  practical  discretion,  the  notableness  which  they  evince,  and 
recommend.  This  is  so  true,  that  we  recollect  having  heard  a 
zealous  utilitarian  declare,  after  reading  one  of  her  works,  that  politi- 
cal economy  might  be  taught  to  the  greatest  advantage  through  the 
medium  of  romances. 

We  cannot  omit  a  passing  remark  upon  Miss  Sedgwick's  style. 
We  have  often  thought,  that  in  the  hands  of  a  master,  the  subject  of 
style  would  afford  an  admirable  opportunity  for  establishing  a  new 
school  of  philosophy.  It  is  very  certain  that  style  affords  a  truer 
index  of  the  mind,  than  the  theory  of  pliysiognomy,  even  in  the 
hands  of  the  philosophical  Lavater ;  or  that  of  craniology,  in  those 
of  Gall  and  Spurzheim.  He  who  shall  set  up  for  the  leader  of  a 
sect  upon  this  subject,  must  be  able  to  furnish  us  with  an  experi- 
mentum  crucis,  by  which  we  can  separate  what  is  adventitious  from 
what  is  natural ;  that  which  is  derived  from  fasliion  and  imitation, 
however  unconsciously,  from  that  embodying  of  the  thoughts,  which 
is,  perhaps,  not  less  characteristic  than  themselves. 

Whatever  our  readers  may  think  of  the  depths  of  this  philosophy, 
we  are  sure  that  they  will  agree  with  us,  that  there  is  a  peculiar 
grace,  fitness,  and  beauty,  in  Miss  Sedgwick's  style :  it  is  entirely 
devoid  of  mannerism,  and  we  like  it  a  thousand  times  better  on  that 
account  The  drapery  of  her  thoughts  is  negligee,  gay,  rich,  grave, 
or  solemn,  as  becomes  them.  There  is  one  particular  in  which  we 
especially  admire  her  costume  :  there  is  no  variety  of  it  which  ever 
exhibits  a  single  blue  thread,  in  a  certain  quarter  where  that  color 
is  but  too  apt  to  attract  attention.  She  always  leads  us  to  regard 
her  rather  as  an  accomplished  lady,  than  as  a  brilliant  author.  Her 
style  is  never  marked  by  pedantry,  and  is  equally  free  from  stiffness 
and   negligence — it  is  more  distinguished  by  delicacy  and   grace 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

than  strength.  The  purity  of  her  English  may  afford  a  model  to 
some  of  our  learned  scholars ;  and  with  that  of  Miss  Edgeworth 
it  furnishes  for  their  consideration  the  very  interesting  problem  how- 
far  a  knowledge  of  the  learned  languages  is  essential  to  an  English 
writer  in  the  use  of  his  vernacular  tongue. 

Our  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  speak  of  Miss  Sedgwick's  powers 
of  invention,  and  imagination,  nor  of  her  great  truth  and  skill  in 
the  delineation  of  character.  We  cannot,  however,  wholly  omit  to 
notice  that  power,  which  speaks  from  heart  to  heart.  In  matters 
of  taste,  we  may  adopt  the  opinions  of  others,  but  we  must  feel  for 
ourselves.  On  this  subject  we  know  not  what  may  be  the  experience 
of  others,  but  for  ourselves,  we  hardly  know  more  beautiful  specimens 
of  the  pathetic,  than  are  to  be  found  in  the  works  of  Miss  Sedgwick. 
It  takes  you  by  surprise,  and  finds  its  way,  before  you  are  aware  of 
it,  to  the  fountain  of  tears,  like  the  heart-broken  voice  of  a  child. 
She  never  attempts  to  convulse  our  hearts  with  hopeless  and  unpro- 
fitable agonies — and  if  there  be  any  thing  painful  in  the  emotions 
which  she  calls  forth,  it  is  more  than  compensated  by  the  healing 
influence  which  they  possess — the  kindly  sympathies  they  elicit,  or 
the  sense  of  justice  which  they  satisfy- —  and  this,  we  think,  is  the 
limit  beyond  which  fictitious  misery  should  never  pass. 


l^Lu.^1  1.^    .1 


.lAMKS       FKXIMOIJK       COOri'-IS 


(J/.    /  Ct't  c^tt^  (/r-<^  C^i^^d^-w 


iir.vi'.l  .•ii-i-onliii;;"  I"  A-i    tJ(  ('i'M<_"r<(!<.iii  iIh-  y<;ii-   l!*."!.''!.  Iiy    .l.-iim-rt  lliTi-iii;V.iii  llii-  <'I.tI.«   i  )rr(.iMl' 
till'  Ui.sln.'l   I '.Mill   .'I'  llr.-  S..iiiImiii    lliMiin  i.|'  \"i-n- Ynrk. 


/'rtntcd  l^/l/nunjt/^nnr. 


JAMES     FENIMORE     COOPER. 


"  For  him  there 's  a  story  in  every  breeze, 
And  a  picture  in  every  wave."  Moore. 

James  Fenimore  Cooper  was  born  at  Bordentown,  in  the  state 
of  New  Jersey,  September  15th,  1789.  His  family  is  one  of  the 
most  <  ancient  in  our  country,  and  can  be  traced  back  distinctly  to 
the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  By  the  maternal  side  his 
American  pedigree  is  equally  ancient,  springing  from  a  Swedish 
stock,  which  dates  from  the  first  settlement  of  Delaware.  A  very 
large  estate  is  still  owned,  and  has  been  occupied  by  the  family,  in 
New  Jersey,  ever  since  that  state  was  settled. 

These  facts,  although  of  little  consequence  in  a  country  where 
every  individual  is  the  "  faber  tuae  fortunse,"  the  founder  of  his  own 
family — are  alluded  to  in  this  place,  to  refute  the  assertions  made  in 
several  foreign  magazines  by  writers,  who,  in  their  zeal  for  monopo- 
lizing all  excellence,  have  claimed  Mr.  Cooper  as  an  Englishman. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  proud  of 
his  old  American  blood,  less  from  personal  considerations  than  from 
those  ardent  feelings  of  nationality  which  form  so  prominent  a  fea- 
ture in  his  character.  We  are  old  fashioned  enough  to  like  him  the 
better  for  it ;  and  we  cannot  comprehend  why  the  same  glowing  de- 
votion to  one's  own  country,  which  is  admired  in  Scott,  Beranger, 
or  Moore,  should  not  be  appreciated  in  the  writings  of  Cooper.  It 
is  no  small  evidence  that  we  are  not  yet  entirely  disinthralled  from 
our  mental  dependance  upon  Europe,  when  we  can  applaud  the 
narrow  selfishness  of  a  Scotch  freebooter,  or  an  Irish  rapparee,  and 
yet  "  hesitate  dislike"  when  a  manly  and  rational  love  of  country  is 
inculcated  by  one  of  our  distinguished  citizens. 

The  early  education  of  young  Cooper  commenced  at  Bordentown, 
but  upon  the  removal  of  his  father,  Judge  Cooper,  to  Cooperstown,  in 
the  state  of  New  York,  wiiere  he  had  purchased  a  large  estate,  the 
subject  of  our  memoir  was  placed,  in  the  year  1799,  under  the  caro 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ellison,  Rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Albany.  After 
a  residence  of  some  years  in  one  of  our  colleges,  he  was  permitted 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

to  enter  the  navy,  for  which  he  had  shewn  an  early  predilection. 
During  a  service  of  several  years  on  the  lakes  and  the  ocean,  he 
gave  brilliant  promise  of  future  excellence  by  his  activity,  gallantry, 
and  unremitted  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  arduous  profession. 
This  would  have  been  speedily  followed  by  promotion,  but  he  relin- 
quished it  for  other  and  more  pleasing  engagements.  He  married, 
and  for  several  years  gave  himself  up  to  all  the  luxurious  ease  of  a 
country  gentleman. 

During  this  period,  he  appears  to  have  accumulated  those  rich 
stores  of  intellectual  wealth  which  were  afterwards  to  be  poured 
forth  to  gratify  and  delight  his  countrymen.  It  is  certain,  at  least, 
that  to  his  residence  at  Cooperstown  we  can  trace  the  origin  of 
those  beautiful  delineations  of  frontier  manners  and  scenery  which 
characterize  the  "  Pioneers,"  while  the  singularly  bold  and  striking 
incidents  of  the  "  Spy"  may  be  safely  attributed  to  the  legends  and 
traditions  of  his  neighbors  during  his  residence  on  the  "  Neutral 
Ground." 

It  is  not  known  at  what  period  his  thoughts  were  turned  towards 
embodying,  in  a  work  of  imagination,  his  views  of  society,  charac- 
ter, and  manners,  although  we  are  aware  that  many  essays,  distin- 
guished alike  for  vigor  of  thought  and  manly  expression,  which 
appeared  in  the  Literary  and  Philosophical  Repository  for  1822-3, 
were  generally  attributed  to  the  pen  of  Mr.  Cooper. 

Apparently  acquainted  with  the  prevailing  tastes  of  his  country- 
men, he  made  his  first  formal  essay  as  a  novelist  under  a  foreign 
disguise.  "  Precaution"  was  given  to  the  world.  The  scene  was 
laid  in  England,  and  it  contained  a  due  proportion  of  noble  lords 
and  titled  dames  to  render  it  palatable  to  his  readers.  As  an  Eng- 
lish novel,  it  was  at  first  favorably  received,  but  as  it  contained  no 
fashionable  slang,  misplaced  sentimentality,  incoherent  rhapsodies, 
nor  libels  upon  distinguished  characters,  having  been  noticed  in  no 
English  review,  and  worse  than  all,  the  secret  of  its  authorship 
having  transpired ;  it  narrowly  escaped  oblivion,  when  his  subse- 
quent works,  the  "  Spy,"  "  Pilot,"  "  Pioneers,"  &c.,  which  appeared 
in  rapid  succession,  placed  our  author  in  high  favor  with  the  public. 
In  a  biographical  sketch  of  a  living  writer,  propriety  appears  to 
indicate  that  a  critical  analysis  of  his  writings  would  be  totally  mis- 
placed. This  more  properly  belongs  to  the  province  of  the  reviewer, 
but  we  may  be  permitted  to  allude  to  a  few  particulars  in  which  he 
is  confessedly  without  a  rival. 

His  ocean  pictures  and  delineations  of  the  nautical  character  in  all 


JAMES  FENIMORE  COOPER. 

its  phases,  from  the  thoughtless  tar  before  the  mast,  to  the  grave  and 
dignified  commander, 

"  Who  treads  the  monarch  of  the  peopled  deck," 

are  acknowledged  to  be  as  far  superior  to  the  sketches  of  Smollet,  as 
Smollet  himself  stands  before  the  Halls  and  Marryats  of  the  present 

day. 

Nor  has  he  been  less  successful  in  delineating  the  "rainbow 
glories"  of  our  forest  scenery,  and  in  depicting  the  moody,  taciturn, 
and  sententious  red  man  of  the  forest. 

For  several  years  past,  Mr.  Cooper  has  resided  in  various  parts 
of  Europe,  with  the  view  of  giving  to  his  numerous  family  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  highly  finished  education.  He  had  been  compliment- 
ed with  the  title  of  American  consul  at  Lyons— an  empty  honor, 
which  our  author  seems  to  have  estimated  at  its  just  value,  for  we 
believe  that  he  never  visited  the  scene  of  his  official  functions. 

During  this  period,  the  pen  of  Mr.  Cooper  has  been  frequently 
exercised,  and  although  it  has  been  made  a  subject  of  reproach,  that 
in  his  late  writings  he  has  introduced  political  allusions  into  pro- 
fessed works  of  imagination,  yet  the  charge  comes  with  an  ill  grace 
from  his  countrymen. 

During  the  residence  of  Mr.  Cooper  in  Paris,  the  eventful  revolu- 
tion of  July  took  place,  and  stirred  up  all  the  parties  and  factions 
which  had  been  torpid  under  the  leaden  sceptres  of  Louis  and 
Charles.  The  struggle  between  the  absolutists,  republicans,  and 
constitutionalists,  became  exceedingly  severe ;  and  our  author  found 
himself  suddenly  placed  in  a  position  from  which  one  of  a  less 
ardent  disposition  would  have  shrunk.  One  of  the  weapons  wielded 
by  the  French  republican  party,  was  the  comparative  cheapness  of 
that  form  of  government ;  and  to  a  nation  like  France,  which  had 
suffered  so  much  from  the  lavish  prodigality  of  its  kings,  it  was  a 
powerful  argument.  It  is,  we  believe,  generally  conceded,  that  our 
own  Lafayette,  although  a  republican  himself,  saw  with  his  charac- 
teristic sagacity,  the  entire  unfitness  of  such  a  form  of  government 
to  modern  France,  and  was  rather  considered  as  the  leader  of  the 
constitutional  party.  However  this  may  be,  the  discussion  assumed 
an  animated  character,  the  expenses  of  our  own  institutions  were 
critically  canvassed,  and  it  was  roundly  asserted  by  the  absolutists, 
that  the  people  of  these  United  States  paid  more  direct  and  indirect 
taxes  for  the  support  of  government  than  the  French.  This  roused 
the  honest  old  patriot,  Lafayette,  who,  in  the  absence  of  sufficient  sta- 


NATIONAL  PORTRAITS. 

tistical  information,  applied  to  Mr.  Cooper  to  furnish  him  with  such 
data  as  would  drive  the  libellers  from  their  false  position.  With  this 
request  he  cheerfully  complied — and  shame  light  upon  the  American 
who  in  such  a  cause  would  have  acted  otherwise.  It  would  be 
foreign  to  these  pages  to  pursue  the  history  of  this  discussion  farther 
than  to  observe,  that  in  doing  this,  Mr.  Cooper  appears  to  have  acted 
under  a  stern  sense  of  duty  towards  his  native  land,  regardless  of 
personal  considerations,  regardless  of  its  effect  upon  his  European 
popularity,  and,  as  we  learn  from  one  of  his  published  letters,  at  no 
inconsiderable  pecuniary  sacrifice.  For  such  services  he  looked  for 
no  reward  beyond  the  consciousness  of  having  defended  the  institu- 
tions of  his  beloved  country,  and  doubtless  he  anticipated  the  hearty 
approval  of  his  countrymen.  In  this  latter  particular,  we  regret  to 
add  that  our  author  has  been  disappointed.  He  has  been  coolly 
"  damned  with  faint  applause"  by  some,  while  others  have  reproached 
him  with  having  "flouted  his  Americanism  throughout  Europe." 
All,  however,  have  not  taken  this  view  of  the  subject. 

It  will  stand  an  everlasting  stigma  upon  the  reputation  of  one 
of  the  master  spirits  of  the  age,  upon  Goethe,  the  father — we  had 
almost  said  the  founder — of  German  literature,  that  in  all  his  volu- 
minous and  multifarious  writings,  not  a  line  can  be  found  calculated 
to  awaken  the  dormant  patriotism  of  his  countrymen,  to  arouse  them 
to  a  sense  of  their  duties  as  citizens  or  of  their  rights  as  freemen. 
Far  different  is  the  case  with  our  esteemed  author,  who,  during  his 
residence  abroad,  has  effected  more  in  defence  of  our  political  insti- 
tutions, more  in  vindication  of  our  national  character  from  the  open 
and  covert  attacks  of  foreign  libellers,  than  any  or  all  of  the  Ameri- 
can writers  who  have  selected  Europe  as  their  residence. 

We  conclude,  with  transferring  to  our  pages  the  following  tribute 
from  one  of  our  highly  gifted  bards. 

"  Cooper,  whose  name  is  with  his  country's  woven, 
First  in  her  fields,  her  pioneer  of  mind, 
A  wanderer  now  in  other  climes  hEis  proven 
His  love  for  the  young  land  he  left  behind, 

"  And  thron'd  her  in  the  senate  hall  of  nations, 

Robed  like  the  deluge  rainbow,  heaven  wrought ; 
Magnificent  as  his  own  mind's  creations, 

And  beautiful  as  her  green  world  of  thought."  Halleck. 


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